The Last of His Name
by A Fan1204
Summary: "My family was everything to me. Growing up I wanted nothing more than to be like my father, to make my mother proud and protect my sisters. You took them from me. Now I won't stop until I take everything from you." Epic in length adventure/revenge/romance fic.
1. Survivor

**So, this is going to be new for me. I've never written a story that wasn't a crossover before but I've been workshopping this idea for a while. I originally wanted it out in time for the release of RWBY Volume 4 but that just didn't happen due to life and other things. I have a vision for this story and I've planned it out pretty much to completion. Of course I do read all reviews so if you have any ideas please feel free to leave them, I'm open to all ideas and criticism of my story. I am by no means a perfect writer and am very receptive to legitimate feedback.**

 **This will be an epic in length adventure/romance story, basically if you've read any of my other stories it will be similar in the overall style. Obviously, the story and events and everything else will be quite different but the overall theme of realism (as far as that can go in an anime) will be applied. The pairing has been decided already for this story but I'm not going to reveal it because where's the fun in that?**

 **While this will be a revenge fic it isn't going to be a dark/morbid type of fic. I know some people are turned off by that so I thought I would mention it. There will certainly be mature themes and everything won't be sunshine and roses but it also won't be a walk-through Edgar Allen Poe's demented brain. It will strike a balance, just like my other stories.**

 **Now with that long ass disclaimer out of the way let's get this show on the road. Also, Volume 4 was pretty good for an intro/building volume. It has me really excited to see how Volume 5/6 are going to be played out.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY in any way, it belongs to Rooster Teeth and the late Monty Oum. In his passing his family wanted his fans to go and create something, well I feel this qualifies in some way.**

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The Last of His Name

 **Chapter 1: Survivor**

The sound of wood scraping against wood rung throughout the medium sized dorm room as the only occupant pulled out the lone chair at the desk. With little care for the chair itself, the seventeen-year-old boy plopped down, the wood creaking as it compensated for the extra weight. A contented sigh escaped his lips as his muscles relaxed, training with his team finally over for the day. He loved the fact that his team took training so seriously but that still didn't stop the fact that almost every time it left him nearly too sore to move afterwards.

Reaching over to his bag, Jaune quickly sorted through the note books and supplies inside until he found what he was looking for. Turning the small leather bound book over in his hand, Jaune rubbed it with care, ensuring to not be too rough with it as to not damage the old bindings.

How long had it been since he had first taken to writing his thoughts down? Another sigh escaped his throat as his eyes became half lidded, old memories washing over his thoughts. He ran his thumb across the closed pages before picking a page and opening the journal.

A small laugh came to him as he read the date, the day before he joined Beacon. His eyes roamed over the quick half page entry, his own words of excitement coming back to him, causing a small smile to spread out across his lips. Beacon certainly wasn't what he had expected back then. But if he was being honest with himself, who could have expected what Beacon would be like?

Before long his hand had turned the page, not forwards but back. More memories came to the forefront of his mind as he continued to read his own thoughts; it seemed like the words written were done so a lifetime ago. He continued to read, losing himself in the memories that he had growing up, his smile growing as he remembered some of the best moments of his young life.

That smile failed him as his hand turned the page. The page itself was blank apart from the date and one line. He remembered writing this entry, the way his hands had trembled at the time. _"I saw him in my dreams again. He was standing over me, just glaring at me. I felt like I couldn't even breath. I was so afraid."_

Jaune's eyes narrowed as he read the passage over. That was his 15th birthday. Despite it being years ago, the feeling of fright was just as strong as if it had just happened. Shaking his head clear of such thoughts, he turned the next page. His frown deepened as the words written on the pages didn't get any better. His mind raced as images kept appearing in his mind. Terror filled sleepless nights, a man, a mask, a katana coated in blood. A smirk. That damnable smirk!

His fingers tightened around the edges of the journal as his frown transformed into a snarl. With far more force than necessary Jaune turned the page. The anger that had been building quickly vanished from his face, his eyes softening as he read over the worn-out page. It was his first entry in his journal. Instead of what had been currently going through his mind at the time of writing like most of his entries, he had chosen to remember his family.

Calloused fingers gently brushed against the page, the words nearly impossible to read. The chicken scratch of a 12-year-old combined with years of exposure did not make for an easy read. Still, he didn't really need to read the page to know what it said. The words were all but ingrained in his mind due to the number of times he had read it.

" _When I'm all grown up I want to be like dad! He was so strong! He protected everyone in the village and everyone looked up to him. I'm going to be a huntsman just like he was! And Mommy was always smiling, nothin eva bothered her! I wanna be happy just like she always was. I guess I wouldnot mine being like my sisters to. Hazel was really smart, Angel was really good at cooking, she made the best dinner! Saffire always helped me with my chores so I guess she was nice to!"_

Soft droplets of liquid splashed against the weathered pages. Moving his arm across his eyes, Jaune tried to wipe away the tears spilling from his eyes before they could land on the notebook on the table. Unfortunately, he couldn't will away the tears as more and more memories flooded his mind.

 _/-/_

"Happy Birthday Jaune!"

A ten-year-old Jaune looked with wide eyes at the birthday cake in front of him, the candles illuminating the snow-white frosting. He looked to the smiling faces of his mother and three sisters with awe before it faded.

He tried to smile at them but he couldn't quite manage it as he looked around the room for something. He said he was going to be here, why wasn't he here?

"What's wrong Jauney?"

The little boy let out a grumble as a soft hand ruffled his messy blond hair. He looked into the equally blue eyes of his eldest sister Hazel, her delicate face marred in slight concern as she looked at her little brother. Her hair was the same vibrant blond as everyone else in the family except she had it cut short, barely reaching her shoulders. The girl's face was adorned by a pair of reading glasses that seemed to sit a little too far down her nose to be of any use. She wore a deep blue button up long sleeved shirt that had golden twin crescent moons on the cuffs of the sleeves. She complemented the shirt with a long gray skirt that came down to her ankles.

He violently shook his head in the negative, trying to remove her hand from his head with the motion. "I'm fine! I… I was just wondering where Dad was, that's all."

The last part barely came out as a whisper but caused a round of frowns across the room. He didn't mean to make them sad. He just wanted to see his Dad. He promised he would be here for his birthday, he promised! His Dad always told him that an Arc always kept their word. That meant his Dad would come, didn't it?

He felt the comforting feeling of his mother's arms wrap around him, the older woman pulling him into a tight embrace. "Oh Jaune, my sweet little boy. Don't worry about your father, he'll be here. You must remember that he's in charge of keeping our village safe, just like his father and his father before him were. I'm sure he's coming back from his hunt right now."

A stiff nod was all he could manage as he tried to fight back a few stray tears. He knew his father was important. Every head of the Arc family had been in charge of keeping their home safe, ever since the end of the Great War. It was their duty, their legacy.

One day he would be expected to do the same, when he was fully grown and a capable fighter just like every Arc heir before him. He knew this and was excited to fulfill his destiny. He wanted to learn from his father, to make his dad proud of the powerful warrior he would become!

That was why he was slowing becoming distressed with his father's absence. He was supposed to begin his training today, the day of his tenth birthday. He couldn't begin his training if he wasn't here!

"I'm home! I hope you all didn't start without me."

All eyes in the room were drawn to a tall man with pale blond hair and bright blue eyes. His jaw line was ridged and covered with a nearly invisible scruff, a clear sign that he had not shaved in a few days. The man wore a brown trench coat that was left open to reveal a padded black shirt coupled with a pair of faded jeans and black combat boots. On his hip rested a sheathed arming sword that swayed naturally as the man moved. On his chest rested two golden crescent moons, the emblem of the Arc family.

"Oh, Arthur dear, you've arrived just in time. We were just giving Jaune his birthday cake."

Jaune quickly wormed his way out of his mother's grip as he rushed up to his father with excited eyes. "You're home! Does that mean we can start training? Can we? Can we Pleeeeeeease?!"

The man chuckled as he knelt to eye level with his son. "Oh, is someone eager to begin training? I do recall saying something along those lines, didn't I?" With the way his son bounced on his feet the older man received the impression that he did indeed say those words. He turned his head to look at his wife who was doing all she could to suppress a giggle. "Has he been like this all day June?"

She merely smiled in response to her husband's question, instead gesturing to the small boy whom could barely contain his excitement as a high-pitched squeal escaped his mouth. The boy was quickly silenced however as his father brought up a hand to stop him. "But first we should have some of your sister's cake. She must have worked on it for hours to make it smell as good as it does."

The second eldest child, Angel, blushed heavily at the praise. The 17-year-old girl tried to hide behind the safety of her blue apron, her nervous eyes looking anywhere but at her father. "Oh, be quiet. It's not even all that great. I just threw together what we had around the house…"

Angel wore a typical white summer sun dress that was dotted with bright flowers of a variety of colors. Her eyes matched the rest of her family, a deep blue in color with a shining innocence to them. Her voice was the softest among the Arc family and most would have had a hard time hearing her if one had not lived with the girl for any number of years.

"Stop acting like that! You were at the market forever picking everything up! Don't be so modest, you make the best cakes ever!"

Twin golden pig tails swayed back and forth as Sapphire bounced around her older sibling, poking the shy girl with every hop. The second youngest Arc child wore a medium length yellow skirt with long black stocking and a navy-blue blouse. On the back of the blouse rested the Arc family crest.

The head of the Arc family let out a deep laugh as he watched his children bicker amongst themselves, clearly enjoying the moment despite the noise. He ruffled his son's hair affectionately, earning him an annoyed expression from said boy, which only made the man smile more. "Son, do you remember when you asked me what was the best part of being a huntsman was?"

Blue eyes blinked in confusion. Of course he remembered. He had asked him that last year and his father had said that he would tell him when he was ready. That was all the man had said at the time. Excitement grew in him as he put two and two together. "I remember. Are you going to tell me!?"

The man chuckled at his son's enthusiasm but nodded nonetheless. "The best part of being a huntsman isn't the thrill of the fight, nor is it in the mastering of your weapon. No, the best part of being a huntsman are times like right now."

Jaune looked at his father with confusion, following his line of sight to his three sisters arguing and his mother trying to split them a part. "I don't understand."

The smile on the older man's face didn't falter and Jaune could see the love he held for them in his eyes. Despite not understanding, he couldn't help but smile as well. His father turned to him, his voice deep but full of fondness. "Being able to protect those that you love is the best part of being a huntsman. Every time I go on a mission, the only thing that motivates me to come home is all of your smiling faces. We aren't warriors Jaune, we never have been. The Arcs are guardians. One day you'll find something you'll want to protect no matter what. Cling to that. As long as you're protecting what you love, you'll never be wrong. Do you understand?"

He didn't. Wasn't being a hunter all about killing Grimm and being the hero? That's what all of the stories his mom read him said. "But what about killing Grimm?"

Arthur smiled, bemused at the question. "That is what we do as huntsmen, not something that I look forward to. Truth be told, if I could go the rest of my life without ever seeing another Grimm I would be happy. I don't kill Grimm because I like it Jaune, I kill them so they can't hurt anyone here in Aerilon and more importantly, so they can't hurt any of you. Wouldn't you be upset if one of your sisters were hurt?"

The very thought made his chest tighten in an uncomfortable way. He brought his hand up to his chest to try and make the bad feeling go away but it refused to leave him. "I wouldn't let that happen. I would protect them."

His father smile brightly at his words and that feeling in his chest evaporated. "As would I. That is what it means to be a hunter Jaune, remember that, always." He watched his father stand and move towards the rest of his family. He quickly followed after his dad, mirroring the man's movements as if he didn't he would disappear. "Now, now, no more arguing, today's Jaune's birthday, you all can argue tomorrow, for now let's open his presents and have some of this cake. I'm starving."

The three girls grumbled to themselves but eventually broke out into smiles as they all went to retrieve their presents. While he was excited to finally begin his training with his father, he would be lying if he said he wasn't excited to see what his sisters got him. Maybe it would be a new toy?

Instead of three separate presents, Hazel walked into the room with one large box, the girl being flanked by her other sisters Angel and Sapphire. Curiosity sparked within him as they set the large box in front of him. "We all chipped in to get you this. We knew you would be starting your training soon so instead of getting you a toy we thought we would get you something to do when you weren't training. We hope you like it!" Hazel explained for his benefit.

Jaune ripped into the wrapping with the ferocity of a Beowolf. The weak paper easily gave way under his relentless attack until nothing remained of the wrappings. The top of the box was also thrown aside much like the paper before it. He reached into the box, grasping at the contents within. With a considerable pull, he brought out a full-sized guitar. The wood was sleek and shined in the light but unfortunately the instrument was awkward in his grip, the guitar being far too large for him to hold properly.

Angel let out a disappointed sigh as she saw her brother fumble with the instrument. "So it was too big for him. We wanted to get one his size but they didn't have any in town. We had to settle for regular sized one."

"I wouldn't worry about that my dears. He'll grow into it sooner rather than later and look, he seems quite happy with it." June said warmly to her daughters.

True to his mother's words, he loved the present. He tried holding it the way he had seen those people on his scroll had but he couldn't quite reach the cords so instead he laid it flat on his lap and brushed his fingers against the tightly strung chords. The sound that was made was anything but pleasant but that didn't matter to him. He strummed the instrument one more time, getting the same terrible noise but only louder. He looked up from his new gift to his three sisters, completely ignoring their cringing faces. "I love it! Thank you so much!"

Jaune continued striking random chords on his guitar, much to his family's horror. While he was happy with his present, musically gifted he was not. He would have continued playing if not for his mother's insistence on putting it down for now. At first, he resisted, wanting nothing more than to keep playing but eventually gave in to the promise of birthday cake.

The treat was sweet and melted in his mouth as he dug in. In no time he had finished his piece and made to grab another before his father's firm hand held his wrist. His questioning eyes met his father's bemused look. "It isn't wise to start your first day of training with a belly full of sweets. Or did you plan on starting tomorrow instead?"

Panic shot through his small body at the very thought and he furiously shook his head in the negative. "No! I want to start training today, no, right now! Let's start training right now!"

Arthur nodded as he turned to the rest of his family, giving them a small smile and a wave. "I think he's been patient long enough, we'll be out for the next few hours. We should be home before nightfall though. Do you need any help cleaning up?"

June waved off her husband's concerns with a casual flip of her hand. "Don't worry about it. The girls and I can easily handle things here. Jaune on the other hand might explode if he has to wait any longer."

Arthur nodded but still walked over to her. She didn't get to voice her confusion as he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a quick but still passionate kiss on the lips. The four Arc children quickly looked away, the younger ones making gagging noises to try and rid themselves of the image implanted in their minds while the two older ones merely looked away, faces flush with embarrassment.

June's eyes fluttered for a moment while a coy smile rested on her lips. "And what was that for?"

Her husband merely smiled at her, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before releasing her and grabbing his son. "No reason."

Jaune let himself be dragged from his home, still reeling from watching his parents kiss in front of him. His mind finally seemed to catch up with him as his father dropped him, forcing his feet to move or be left behind. "Dad! What was that! That was so gross. Ewwww."

The older man just laughed at his son's words, not at all bothered by them. "One day you'll understand when you have a wife of your own. You'll want to kiss her every chance you get, mark my words."

Jaune shook his head violently at the very notion. Kissing girls was gross. He would never want to do something like that, let alone all the time. "No way. I don't need a wife anyway. I have you and mom and Hazel and Angel and even Sapphire. I don't need anyone else."

He noticed the way his father's face scrunched up and looked away. He knew what that look meant, it meant that he had said something wrong. It meant he was going to get scolded. He didn't feel surprise in the slightest when he felt his father's hand land on his shoulder, nor did he resist when he was turned to look at his now kneeling father.

"Jaune. I know your mother has told you that you need to make some friends. We might not always be around and you'll need to have other people that you can trust and rely on. You don't need to find them right away but you shouldn't be against the idea to begin with. What does your mother always say?"

He looked up at his father, the man wasn't angry or even stern, his face was kind and understanding, if not a little disappointed. He hated seeing that look, he hated disappointing his family. He nodded, his eyes focused on his father's as he spoke. "Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet."

"That's my boy. Also don't be so quick to discount wanting a wife. She'll be your best friend and someone that you can always depend on. Trust me, you'll want to find yourself a wife one day, or else you'll become truly lonely."

He laughed at his dad's words. Friends were one thing but kissing girls and getting a wife was something else entirely. He sprinted in front of his father, turning around so he was running backwards while sticking his tongue out at his dad. "No way! There's no way I'll ever-hmph!"

His back struck something solid that refused to budge under his admittedly small frame. Losing his balance, he fell to the ground in a heap, his knees scraping harshly against the coarse gravel road they had been walking on. He had to fight back tears that threatened to spill over as his face scratched against the small pebbles on the ground. Arc's didn't cry! They were strong men!

He felt a hand grab his clothing and pull him to his feet. He quickly wiped the nearly shed tears from his eyes and looked up at his father, he would no doubt be scolded for not watching where he was going.

His eyes widened as he looked at the visage of the person who had picked him up. Fear gripped his heart once he realized it wasn't his father. His body refused to move, frozen as a dreaded panic filled his core. He couldn't even blink as his eyes focused on the thing's face. It looked normal, tan complexion, unblemished skin, curious brown eyes. The man looked normal in every way, the only difference being the two small horns sticking out of his head.

"Woah there little Jaune. You need to be more aware of your surroundings. Can't become a huntsman if you're running into everything, now can you?"

His breathes were shaky and uneven, his eyes refusing to leave the animal protrusions on _its_ head. He could feel his hands tingle as another wave of panic washed over him. He needed to run, he had to get away, he needed t-

"I'm sorry about that Thomas. Jaune's just so excited about finally being able to begin training that he wasn't watching where he was going. I'll be sure to beat some situational awareness into him right away."

He felt his father's firm hand rest of his shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze. It wasn't enough to rid him of his need run but it allowed his breathing to calm slightly. His father was strong, he would protect him if need be.

"Oh I'm sure you will, just don't be too tough on the lad right away, he's only starting off after all, he's not like the men in the watch, not yet anyway." The monster seemed to laugh at his own words, like it was the best joke in the world. It wasn't.

His father must have found some humor in the words however as he chuckled along with the horned thing. "Oh I'm aware. And just because I'll be training Jaune for a while doesn't mean you lot can slack off. The Grimm could come at any time, I don't want to lose anyone due to you lot thinking you get some sorta vacation."

Thomas just laughed good naturedly at his father before patting his father's shoulder. He instinctively took a step closer to his father's leg, his hand reaching out to grab the fabric of his jeans. "Oh don't you worry, we'll be fine. We'll start training first thing tomorrow, the men need some rest after the hunt anyway." The creature turned his attention away from his father and back to him, going so far as to kneel down to look him in the eye. "And you, train real hard so that you can become as strong as your father ya hear? We'll all be depending on you one day just like your dad."

Jaune's body stiffened and his breath hitched in his throat as he felt the other man's hand rest on his shoulder. Wide eyes stared at the offending appendage but the overwhelming sense of dread at the contact made him unable to move. His body begun to slightly tremble, his hands gripping his father's pants leg harder until his knuckles turned an ashen white.

Both men noticed his discomfort and Thomas let out a sigh as he let Jaune go and stood up to regard Arthur. "I guess I'll let you guys get to your training then. Good luck."

Jaune saw how his father grimaced and looked down in shame, he knew it was because of what he did, it's what happened every time one of _them_ were around. "I'm sorry Thomas. You know he doesn't mean it. It's… we're working on it. He should be able to grow out of it in time. Just be patient with him alright? He's not a bad kid."

Thomas held up his hands and smiled weakly at the middle-aged Arc. "I know, I know. You apologize every time, you really don't have to do that. I'm pretty sure everyone in Aerilon knows of his problem. We all know you aren't teaching him any racist stuff at home. It's just… unfortunate is all. He's just a kid though, he'll grow out of it eventually, hopefully sooner rather than later."

Thomas laughed lightly but even Jaune could tell that the man was hiding his hurt feelings. His jaw clenched at the thought, he didn't want to hurt anyone. Even if he didn't want to be by him he didn't mean to hurt its feelings. His mother always told him to be nice to everyone, even those you didn't like. He just couldn't help it, he hated it!

His father waited until the other man had left before he turned to address his son, his eyes filled with a calm understanding and not the anger Jaune had expected. Arthur's smile was soft yet his hand he placed on his shoulder was firm. "I know you can't help it Jaune. Just… keep trying. The faunus aren't any different than you and me. They love and laugh and hurt just like we do. They aren't any more dangerous and scary than any human."

Jaune couldn't bring himself to look into his father's eyes but nodded nonetheless. He had been told countless times that the faunus were no different than anyone else, they just looked different. It didn't matter how often he was told however, every time he saw a faunus he would freeze up, his body unable to move as he was wracked with fear.

"Don't worry Jaune. Believe it or not you're getting better. Soon it won't even be a problem and we'll laugh about it. Now come on, I promised you to start your training and I intend to do just that."

Jaune nodded along and let his father guide him through his home village. While not the largest of frontier villages, Aerilon had lasted multiple generations and as a result the village itself was bustling with life. Humans and faunus alike moved about their daily activities, some sparing a moment or two to speak with his father, who was more than happy to converse with anyone that approached them.

It was to be expected. The Arc's had been the guardians of Aerilon since its creation after the Great War. They were public figures and everyone in the village knew that if it wasn't for his family they would have lost their home a long time ago. That kind of legacy brought a great amount of respect to everyone in the Arc family, not just his father.

It took longer to work through the village than it normally did but they eventually made it to the village outskirts and into a clearing that Jaune was all too familiar with. He had spent hours watching his father train the other village protectors in this clearing. It looked like he would begin in the same way and he couldn't be happier about it.

His father finally stopped in the middle of the field before he sat down and motioned Jaune to do the same. He did without a second thought, smiling brightly at his father, his excitement barely contained. "Now son, before we can truly begin your training we must do one very important thing. We must unlock your Aura."

Jaune titled his head in confusion, mouthing the word back. "Aura?"

Arthur nodded, resting a hand on his son's head with a neutral expression on his face. "Yes, Aura is the manifestation of our soul. It shields us from harm and allows us to fight beyond our limits. For most Huntsmen, Aura is a vital part of their fighting style but for an Arc, it is literally everything. Without Aura you would be useless on the battlefield."

Jaune nodded rapidly as he absorbed every word his father spoke, fully enraptured with the man's lesson. "Do I have Aura?"

The man laughed and rubbed his son's hair. "Of course you do. Every living person is born with an Aura. Even animals and the plants have it. Only the creatures of Grimm do not have an Aura as they have no soul. All I need to do is unlock it for you. Stay still son."

His father's hand gripped his head tightly while the older man closed his eyes. The grip was coarse and rough but he didn't say anything, a strange feeling begun flowing through his body, like a coursing river of energy that came from nowhere.

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this we become a paragon of courage and justice to protect all. Infinite in our mercy and unbound by death. I release your soul and by my shoulder protect thee."

The feeling that rushed through his small body was nearly indescribable. The energy surged through him, barely contained, and brimming with untapped power. He had never felt so good in his entire life! His eyes bolted open, filled with excitement until he saw his father slouched over, breathing heavily. "D-dad?"

A strained smile came to the man's face, finally able to control his breathing. "I'm fine son. It just takes quite a bit of energy to unlock one's Aura and you have quite a lot. It took more out of me than I expected. I'll be fine. But more importantly, now we can finally begin your training."

He nodded enthusiastically, following closely behind his father and he walked towards the edge of the clearing. They stopped before a large tree, one with two crescent moons etched into the bark. He watched as his father placed his hand on the earth, a large slab of grass gave way with ease. In its place was a large steel door with their family symbol inscribed onto it. "This was built back before the village was even created. My great Grandfather built this as a type of sanctuary or bunker for our family, now we use it to pass on the teachings of our family to the next generation. This is where we will be training. Only an Arc can get inside, it's bound to our Aura. Open the path Jaune, harness the power that is flowing inside of you and project it into the door."

He gulped nervously, looking at his father and then at the steel door in front of him. He swallowed his nerves and moved forward, placing his hand against the metal frame. It felt cool to the touch and there were no discernable markings that it was a door of any kind. No handles, latches or knobs, just a solid piece of metal.

"Go on, grab hold of the power inside of you and push it into the door."

He did, or at least he tried. It was easy to find the power, it was everywhere inside of him. Grabbing a hold of that power was something else entirely though. It whirled within him, never staying still long enough to grab a firm hold of it. His brow furrowed in concentration, the power trying its damnedest to stay out of his grasp. Frustration built as the elusive power continued to avoid him, with a shot of anger, he _pushed_ , a bright light flaring to life at the palm of his hand before he was rocked back, being taken off his feet and landing on his back a few feet away.

His groans were drowned out by his father's rambunctious laughter. Shaking the ringing in his ears free, he glared at his father who tried and failed to contain his laughter.

A few more moments passed and the older man was finally able to reign in his laughter. He smiled at his son, a bemused smirk still resting on his face. "Not exactly what I meant but it definitely got the job done, come look."

His embarrassment was soon forgotten as he got up and ran over to the steel slab that seemed unmovable. The plate glowed briefly and he could hear grinding noises against steel before the metal gave way, opening just large enough for a person to walk inside. He looked at his father who only smiled, gesturing to go inside.

He did as instructed and felt a bit of relief when he saw his father follow behind him. The staircase wasn't anything extravagant, in truth it only lasted a flight, just enough to give anyone in the room enough room to feel comfortable. The room itself was rather simplistic, just a large wide open area with a few training dummies towards the end of it. The only thing that denoted that it belonged to them was the large double crescent moon etched into the floor.

Despite the lackluster training field, Jaune held a bright smile on his face. This was where he would learn to be a huntsman, where he would begin his destiny. It was finally happening!

"Now we begin, but before you begin your physical training you need to learn. To learn how an Arc fights. I told you that for an Arc, Aura is the most important part of our fighting style, this is why."

Jaune watched his father as he took a stance towards the center of the room. He drew Crocea Mors, the beautiful sound of the cool steel scraping against the sheath echoing through the enclosed room. "Huntsmen can channel their Aura into just about anything to strengthen the object, make it harder, to sharpen the edge of their blade or more commonly, to activate dust. Some objects and materials channel Aura better than others."

Crocea Mors begun to glow, a dim light blue hue being gained by the edge of the blade. "A huntsman's weapon is an extension of oneself and one should be able to channel their aura through their weapon as naturally as their own body. Your weapon is as much a conduit for your Aura as your arm."

Jaune's awed filled eyes absorbed every motion that his father made, the blade glowing brighter with every passing second. "With enough practice, you won't even need to think about it, your Aura will flow and move as you will it. It will both be your shield." The man paused, eyes hardening as he picked a target on the other end of the long room. "And when needed, your sword!"

With a primal grunt, Arthur slashed at the air in a wide arc, the bright light that once shrouded Crocea Mors leaving the blade with the motion. It flew through the air, speeding across the wide-open area until it impacted against one of the few training dummies. The wooden opponent was no match for the Aura attack and exploded on contact, splinters shooting everywhere as nothing but a stump of a base was left over.

Shock quickly morphed into excitement as he lunged at his father, latching onto his pants leg, and grinning widely. "That was amazing! Teach me how to do that! I'm ready!"

A deep chuckle and a pat on his head was what he received in response, not exactly what he had been looking for but he pushed his father's hand off his head with considerable effort. "I'm serious!"

His words only seemed to amuse his father more, forcing another irritated growl to escape his throat. "Oh are you now Jaune? You barely could open the door, I don't think you're ready for this. No, you won't be learning this today. All you'll be doing today is learning."

He felt his enthusiasm wane a bit but tried to fight it back. He must have failed however as his father took notice of his look and laughed again. "Oh, not what you were expecting son? Vale wasn't built in a day, nor is a huntsman trained in one. Don't worry, soon you'll be practicing using your Aura as a weapon. First however, you must learn how to use your Aura to protect yourself and others. We are not warriors Jaune. We do not seek combat nor do we fight to kill if we can help it. We are guardians. We protect those that cannot protect themselves. That is what we stand for."

Jaune nodded in understanding, trying his hardest to memorize the words. He always thought that being a huntsman was about fighting and killing monsters. If his dad said otherwise however he would listen, he would learn how to be a guardian. He would protect everyone!

Arthur smiled warmly, rubbing his son's head affectionately. "Good. Once you understand what your power is meant for, what your true purpose is, then your true strength will shine." At that, Arthur grabbed his sheath, the metal expanding to form a heater shield, their family emblem proudly displayed in the center of the shield. The shield began to glow in the same way that the sword had previously.

The energy within the shield expanded but instead of shooting after a target, it maintained its form and stretched out in front of both Arcs. The transparent light blue barrier extended several feet in either direction, the energy shimmering but remaining intact.

Jaune gulped as he reached a tentative hand out to touch the energy that seemed to float there. The tips of his fingers brushed against the energy shield, a small jolt shooting through his fingers, not unlike the shocks he would occasionally receive from static.

"Take pride in our ability to protect. While other huntsmen will use their Aura to enhance themselves to fight, we use our Aura to shield others. That is what makes us unique Jaune, remember that."

He nodded again, his eyes watching as the bluish barrier retreated back from once it came. He allowed his father to guide him to the only other structure in the large room, his mind too preoccupied on what he was learning. They stopped before a large wooden pedestal, a rather large tome resting on top of it.

Arthur placed a hand atop the book, lightly padding it to rid it of the dust that had settled upon it. Jaune didn't miss the way his father smiled fondly at the old book, it must have been important to him, instantly making it important to himself as well.

"Everything we have learned about Aura is in this book. Your great great grandfather was the first to start writing everything he knew down. Then his son added what he learned and so on and so forth. Soon enough you'll write your own passages in this book as well. Of that I have no doubt. For now though, your training will consist of reading this book. Not only does it contain their techniques and strength but their wisdom as well. I have learned quite a lot from this book, as will you."

His eyes were glued to the book, the tempting mysteries waiting within demanded he reach out to grab it, to learn everything it had to offer. He looked at his father, his eyes begging for permission to touch something so important to their family. His father's nod was all he needed to reach out and grab it. Inches before his fingers touched the fine leather the room rocked violently, a terrible sound of thunder filling the room.

A second tremor hit the room, everything inside shaking as an even louder thunder clap erupted from above, the noise so loud that he needed to cover his ears. Jaune turned to his father, his father's eyes however weren't on him, they were glued firmly to the exit.

When the room shook a third time an anxious feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. The noise sounded out again, closer yet and sounding distinctly _not_ like thunder. "Father… what's going on?"

Narrowed eyes turned away from the door, the man taking a knee as he came eye level. "I'm sure it's nothing Jaune, I'm going to check on the village just to be sure though. Stay here and read. I'll be back in no time."

He watched his father stand, Crocea Mors drawn and held at the ready. He moved with purpose towards the exit, only stopping for a moment to look back. He stared into his father's eyes, seeing a tirade of emotions passing. As the man finally left, the steel door slamming shut behind him, the feeling in his stomach only worsened. For the first time in his life he doubted his father's words.

 _/-/_

Jaune fought back tears as he ran. He should have listened to his father, he shouldn't have left that room.

A scream cut through the air and only made him squeeze his eyes shut as he ran. This wasn't happening! There was no way this was happening. Another explosion erupted from the building he was running by, sending debris and bodies everywhere in a spectacular shower of fire.

The explosion knocked him off his feet, his small body tumbling across the hard ground before it hit an equally solid object. This time tears did sprout from his eyes as he held his head. Nothing made any sense.

He felt the soft patters of rain touch his skin as the sound of thunder filled the air, actual thunder, not the explosions that seemed to be going off every few minutes from random points within the village.

Heavy footfalls put fear in Jaune's heart, quickly moving from his spot to try and find some cover, anything at all that could hide him from the monsters that were attacking his village. He found his refuge under a partially destroyed porch, the splintered wood not offering much in the terms of cover but he had little choice.

The footsteps came to a halt just outside his hiding place, which only caused his heart to pound in his chest even more. Despite every fiber of his being saying not to, he dared to take a peek through the destroyed stairs. His breath caught in his throat, wide eyes focused solely on the monstrosities just a few feet away.

He had never seen a Grimm before. His father had taught him that they were the true enemy of people. The Grimm came in many shapes and sizes but something they all shared was their pitch-black fur, white masks, and glowing red eyes. These monsters were similar but far more frightening than anything his father had described.

Their white masks looked exactly like his father had told him but that was where the similarities ended. They looked human in every respect except for the animal appendages that he could make out. Tails, horns, non-human ears. Jaune could easily identify that each of the monsters in white masks were really the monsters with the animal parts.

His father told him that they weren't evil, that they were just like us but he knew better. He could never explain it but he always knew! But it didn't make any sense, the creatures in white were attacking everyone, even the other monsters that weren't wearing white.

"What a mess. This isn't what I thought it would be like when I signed up for this."

"What did you think you were signing up for? It wasn't like Adam sugar coated what we were going to be doing. Or did you think that destroying Aerilon meant something else?" The largest one spoke, his horse-like tail swishing violently in the rain.

"I got it, I got it. I'm still one hundred percent in, it's just I didn't think we would be killing our own. The humans sure, no objections from me, those bastards deserve it. But I really thought the faunus here would come to our side once it all started."

The larger beast just shrugged in response, not caring about the hellish scene around them. "They picked their side. These frontier villages are different than in the Kingdoms. Everyone bands together to defend their home, even a racist human will fight beside a faunus when its life or death. They think that brings them equality but it doesn't. Once the threat is gone the humans will put us back under their heel like they always do. Come on, enough chatter, we have a job to do. We still need to find that Arc boy, Adam will be pissed if we don't get them all. It was the whole point of attacking this shithole to begin with."

Jaune watched them leave, his hands shaking as he gripped the damaged wood. Why were they looking for him? What did that thing mean by get all of them? Was he talking about his family? A new kind of fear enveloped his heart as his head swam with endless possibilities. His eyes focused in on a lifeless body, it's head half buried in a pool of rain water and blood. The mop of brown hair shimmered and changed into blonde and his blood turned to ice.

He didn't know what was going on, he didn't know why the monsters that he lived with everyday started killing everyone, he didn't know what he was going to do but he had to do something! He ran through the burning streets of his home, eyes scared but focused. He ignored the motionless bodies that he ran by, his one and only goal was finding his family, if he found his father everything would be ok.

Another explosion went off in a nearby building but he ignored it, nothing else mattered as he ran through the streets. The ground was muddy with the continued rainfall, the mud mixing with red to make a disgusting rusting brown. He ignored that too as he ran, he had to find them!

The sound of steel clashing brought him to a standstill, his head swiveling to find the source. His heart soared when his eyes landed on the source of the sound. His father stood over one of the white beasts, Crocea Mors stuck within its chest before it was torn free. "Father!"

Jaune expected many things from his dad when he found him, relief, a smile, really anything that reflected how he felt. Instead however he saw anger in his father's eyes. He seemed to shout something at the people behind him before he broke ranks and dashed at him.

It was surreal, he couldn't exactly put his finger on the feeling that washed over him. He just knew that something was wrong, like something was coming after him. Slowly, he turned his head to the side, eyes widening when he finally saw it.

A monster was charging him. The mask on this one seemed more elaborate than the others, filled with markings that he didn't understand. This creature looked far more like the Grimm his father told him about, the black suit shimmering in the bright light brought upon by the flames all around them.

But it wasn't a Grimm. Grimm didn't look like people, nor did they carry weapons. The blood red blade in its hands whistled through the air, slicing through raindrops as the sword cut through the air, cutting right at his throat.

Steel met steel as Crocea Mors clashed against the monster's sword. Sparks flew in the night air as the blades grinded against one another, a battle of strength with no clear winner.

"You stupid boy! I told you to stay in the bunker! Why did you leave!?"

Jaune landed on his backside with a loud splash, his hands sinking into the soft mud as he tried to push himself up. "I'm sorry." His voiced quivered. "I was scared, I wanted to find you, to find mom and everyone else."

He heard his father growl but said nothing as he focused solely on the monster in front of him. With a roar, Arthur pushed his opponent away, the thing sliding against the ground and coming to a stop a few feet away. "Jaune listen to me, you need to get out of here. Run back to the bunker and wait for me to come and get you. Do you understand?"

He flinched as thunder rolled throughout the heavens, the heavy sound booming all around him. Somehow, he still managed to hear the voice of the monster with the red weapon. "Don't think that I'll let him escape. No one is leaving Aerilon alive. The fires that spread from this village will spark the flames of revolution. Humanity will finally get the justice that it so greatly deserves."

"And how is this justice!? You're slaughtering innocents! Since when did the White Fang turn to senseless violence?" Arthur barked at the wild animal.

"Senseless?" Red hair swished back and forth as it shook its head, not comprehending the words his father spoke. "This is anything but senseless. You humans have kept us under your boot since the beginning of time. Treating us as monsters, as nothing more than wild beasts. We tried your way!" The man, no, the monster yelled, his anger growing. "We tried to be peaceful! What did it get us? A lovely place at your feet like some whipped dog! No more! We will tear down the bastions of strength that you humans hold so dear. We will show all of Remnant that the White Fang will no longer allow humanity to do as they please. They will give us equality or they will fall by our hands!"

Like a mad bull, it charged his father, his movements nothing more than a blur in the night. His father vanished as well, reappearing only a few feet away, Crocea Mors once more engaged with the man's red katana. "And what about this? What has Aerilon ever done to deserve this? We were never even given a choice. Don't preach about equality! You're nothing more than a murderer looking to justify his bloodlust!"

Sparks flew as the two swords crashed into one another again. Again and again the steel clashed, neither man giving and inch. Despite the heavy downfall he could still hear their voices. "Aerilon is nothing more than an example for the rest of the world. Destroying a human settlement with no strength would be meaningless. Destroying a village that has been defended for generations by skilled huntsmen however would show the world that we are a legitimate threat. I will end the Arc line here and now. Your death will pave the way for our equality. You should feel honored."

"I will never let you hurt my family!" With a primal roar, Crocea Mors glowed with power and blasted the White Fang leader away. He didn't pursue him however, he instead turned, yelling at the top of his lungs. "Jaune! Run! Get out of here!"

His legs moved but they felt like lead, each movement painfully slow, only worsened by the torrential rainfall. His ears burned with every step, knowing full well that he wasn't fast enough for what was about to come. "Kill the Arc child before he escapes!"

He heard a series of clicks and then the deafening noise of rifles going off. He cried out into the night as tears streamed down his face. He didn't feel any pain but he felt his legs give out, his body crashing harshly into the pavement, mud coating his body as he slid. He looked down at himself, expecting a warm red liquid but found none. Turning his head, he found the answer.

A large blue barrier had formed out of Crocea Mors' shield, the dust bullets impacting and exploding against the barrier but none making through it. His father was protecting him, like he always did.

His smile turned to horror as the red-haired monster drew his blade, dashing around the barrier to his father's exposed side. "You're open Arc!"

This time he did see the red liquid fly into the air but it was not his own. His father bit back a yell as he brought his sword down on the bull faunus, forcing him to retreat, his katana dripping with more than just the rain water. "I said run you daft boy! Listen to your father and run!"

Jaune shut his eyes in frustration but did as he was told, finding his fight. His father was strong! His father was a guardian! He would beat these monsters and everything would go back to normal. He just had to make it back to the bunker.

He ignored everything as he ran. He saw it of course, the dead bodies that littered the streets, the burning building despite the rain. None of that mattered. Everything would be ok! Everything would be ok!

His momentum came to a sudden stop as he felt a rough hand latch onto his shirt. Whoever it was did not care if he was hurt with the way they threw him into the dirt. His head cracking loudly against the cobblestone, his vision blurring.

"Hey look, I found the Arc boy. Bet Adam will give me a promotion for this."

He felt the voice before he could see it, a strong hard wrapping around his throat that quickly lifted him off the ground. His sight finally returned to him and for a moment he wished that it hadn't, holding him in the air was another one of those monsters. He stared into what he could only guess was its eyes, he found nothing in those black slots which only made him panic more.

"Guess it's our lucky day, hurry up and kill him so we can get out of this hell hole. Adam is in the center of the village cleaning up the stragglers." The monster's partner said.

Panic gripped his heart as he started squirming in its' hands. He wouldn't die like this, he promised his dad he would wait for him in the bunker. He would listen to his father, he wouldn't disappoint him again!

He was desperate to escape, to get away. He had been grabbing at the man's arm, trying to free himself but the man's grip was too strong, the gap in their strength too insurmountable for him to overcome with brute strength alone. His futile attempts only furthered the terror running through him, fueling his frantic movements. He needed to run away! Energy flared within him, his Aura pumping to every corner of his being. He desperately grasped onto the power, his grip tightening against the beast's arm and _pushed_.

"Stop squirming you little brat, this will be over in a sec-Argh!"

Not being the first time he had been sent flying today, Jaune managed to roll as his body struck the ground. He quickly climbed to his feet and stared at his hands, watching as blood dripped from the digits. The blood wasn't his own however.

"You killed him! You fucking brat! I'll fucking kill you!"

The man that had been holding him wasn't moving, he laid motionless in the mud, a large pool of blood coming from the hole in his side where his arm was meant to be. His partner on the other hand was alive and well, his sword drawn as he marched through the storm.

He knew he couldn't do that again, whatever that even was. He would die here, to some monster that only wanted to hurt him for no other reason other than to hurt his family and his home. He wouldn't turn away though. His father wouldn't and neither would he.

His heart pounded in his ears as he watched the wicked curved blade rise. He heard the creature scream at him as he brought the blade down. It didn't reach him however, instead three prongs erupted from the monster's chest, a silent scream on its lips before his body hunched over, lifeless.

With an audible grunt, the White Fang solider was tossed aside, in his place stood another faunus with a trident in his hands. Unlike the White Fang, he wore a collection of colors that were covered in a thick layer of mud. The large man reached a hand towards him but did not touch him. "Are you alright little Jaune?"

With wide eyes Jaune looked from the outstretched hand and into the brown orbs of the man in front of him. He knew him, he had seen him almost every day. The fear that his presence brought was still there but less so than when the faunus in white came after him. "Thomas?"

"That's right little one, I've got you." The man reached the rest of the way and gripped his forearm, pulling the small ten-year-old to his feet. "This place isn't safe for you. Do you know a safe place to hide?"

He could only nod to the man's question, which was enough for him as the older man's eyes scoured the area. "That's good. Run there now and stay there until your father comes and finds you."

His throat clenched while his panicked eyes moved around the area. He saw where he needed to go, it didn't appear to be anyone over there. He was only a couple minutes away, he could make it, he knew he could. Instead he turned, eyes glued to the back of the thing that would cause him terror every day. And yet, he protected him. Why did he protect him? "What about you?"

The larger faunus turned towards him, eyes full of surprise. It didn't last as a warm smile came to his face. He bent on one knee to look him in the eyes, the way he always did. It was strange, normally when he would do that it would fill him with terror, now though, it almost felt comforting. "Don't worry about me little one. I'm going to go help your father push these evil people out of our village. Someone has to watch his back. I'll see you soon enough, now run and be safe."

Fear still filled him as he looked at the ox faunus. Though it wasn't a fear of the man himself, it was something else entirely. He shut his eyes tightly and he slammed into the sturdy man, his tiny arms trying to wrap around his neck, tears streaming down his face. "I'm s-sorry!" He tried to say between sobs.

He felt Thomas' arms wrap around him in kind, the faunus' voice soft and soothing. The words he had failed to convey being received by the man through his hug. "I know you are little one. Everything is alright, there is nothing to forgive. Now go, this will all be over soon."

Jaune pulled away, tears staining his face. His chest felt wet, and not from the rain, it felt warm, rain shouldn't have been warm. He touched his chest and his hand came off warm and wet as well, a thick layer of blood slipping through his fingers as the rain washed it away. His wide eyes looked up into the strained smile of the man in front of him. The blood was not his, the hole in the right side of Thomas' chest was enough to tell him this.

"It's nothing but a small nick, do not concern yourself with that. Now go!"

Words failed him as the large faunus rose from his spot and took off to where his father was fighting. More tears fell from his eyes and he too took off running. Thomas would be fine, his father would be fine, everything would be ok!

 _/-/_

He didn't know how long he had stayed in his family's bunker, hours had gone by before exhaustion overcame him and he passed out. When he woke it was to a lonely room, with nothing but a few spar dust lamps to illuminate the area.

Still he waited, just like he promised he would. Last time he disobeyed his father he was mad at him. Jaune didn't want his father to be mad at him, no, he would do what he was told.

Sadly as each hour passed his patience waned, every second feeling like an hour. Had they forgotten him? No, his father wouldn't forget him, but maybe he was just too busy to come get him? That made sense, with everything that happened things must have been a mess. But why didn't his mother come and get him? Or any of his sisters? Maybe they were all busy with dealing with the mess from yesterday?

If that was the case he couldn't just sit here and let them do everything themselves. He could help! He ran to the door and quickly opened it with his Aura, the hatch hissing shut after he had made his way out.

The rain had yet to let up, the droplets gliding across his skin and soaking his still slightly dump clothes all the way through. He shivered but pushed on, a little rain wasn't going to stop him.

The morning air was strangely quiet as he moved closer to the village. An uneasy feeling settling in his stomach as he crossed the outskirts of his home. There was no one in the village. Well, that wasn't exactly true, there were people, they just weren't moving anymore. Bodies lined the streets, both people he knew and those monsters clothed in white.

Puddles of water, blood and mud littered the ground, the buildings were all damaged, either through the fighting, the explosions or a result of the fire that was left in the explosions wake.

He steeled himself as he moved through the wasteland of death. He had seen all of this yesterday, he knew he would likely see it again when he left the bunker. But why hadn't anyone started cleaning it up? Surely, they weren't going to just leave the bodies there.

A shiver went through his small body as he found his way deeper into Aerilon, but it wasn't the rain that caused it. The center of the pavilion had bodies scattered everywhere, both monsters and villagers alike. One body caught his attention above the others, a large frame of a man slumped against a wall of a local shop.

He stopped a few feet in front of the body, his eyes glued to the two familiar horns on the man's head. A large gash had been cut through his stomach, the rain having washed away the excess blood a long time ago but did little to wipe away the blood that soaked his shirt.

Dead eyes stared into his own before Jaune had to look away, sadly it did little to ease his tortured stomach that threatened to spill everything that it held. His eyes landed on a broken trident, shattered along the shaft, a useless shell of itself.

He pried his eyes away and continued moving, more haste in his steps as he scanned the dead bodies. He had to find his father, he needed to make sure he was okay!

His body came to a grinding halt as his eyes found a familiar golden crest sticking out of the mud. He ran towards it, his eyes wide and red. With a loud slosh his knees struck the mud, his hand grabbing hold of the shield and prying it from its watery resting place. The shield was intact but covered in mud and blood.

That wasn't what he focused on however, instead his blue eyes could only stare in shock at the lifeless arm that still clutched onto the shield. Slowly, painfully, his eyes moved farther up, finally resting on the familiar visage of his father. His breath caught in his throat and he had to look away as the contents of his stomach emptied themselves. He heaved once more as he looked at his father's face from the corner of his eyes, motionless, locked in a look of shock. His small hands shook as he touched the man's chest, his hand running across a jagged diagonal cut running from his shoulder to his hip.

His breaths came faster as the world around him faded away. His eyes stung but refused to release tears, his pool having dried up long ago. He couldn't tear his eyes from his dad's lifeless body, even as his head pounded and his heart threatened to explode.

A feeling he had never felt filled him as he continued to stare, his hands curling painfully onto his father's blood stained shirt and with a primal rage he screamed into the morning air.

Sadly, none could hear it as none were left.

* * *

 **Alright, and that is our intro for this story.**

 **Sheesh, this was a lot heavier a chapter than even I imagined it would be and I knew where this was going from the beginning. I normally don't like insanely intense chapters to kick off stories but for what I'm going for it was pretty necessary.**

 **Now let me just answer a question or two that I'm sure some will have. First and foremost, Adam's age in canon is currently unknown as far as I'm aware but most probably assume he's Blake's age or at least very similar. In this fic he's older, significantly so. At the time of the attack he's 17, so by the time canon rolls around he'll be 24. Take that in for all of what it's worth.**

 **The second thing that I just want to clear up right away is that yes, Jaune does suffer from Faunaphobia. I tried to make it very clear that he suffers from it and it truly is an irrational fear of faunus instead of hate based racism. And yes, the overall concept of Faunaphobia came from a chapter in Coeur Al'Aran's and College Fools mash up The Writer Games. I will say that the only thing taken from that is just the idea of Faunaphobia, everything else, including the main direction of the story (which is not a focus on Faunaphobia, that is merely an element) is completely original. I did message Coeur about it though simply because I respect him deeply as an author and he didn't think that I really even needed to mention it as an irrational hatred isn't a completely original story concept in and of itself. Still, I like giving credit where credit is due.**

 **That's really all I have to say so far for this chapter. As always, leave a review and let me know what you think, good, bad, and everything in between. I do read all reviews and take any and all legitimate criticism to heart. I know I'm not a perfect author and I can't get better without feedback!**

 **Oh, one last thing, if you're looking for a very unique take on the Gamer styled story in the RWBY fandom I would highly recommend Multiplayer by NeoShadows. It's a bit cracky at times but overall, it's a great read with a really unique and compelling plot. In all honesty it's the only gamer fic I can read and enjoy. So if that's your thing give it a look!**


	2. Purpose

**Wow, such positive feedback from everyone on the intro chapter. I'm genuinely surprised that it was so well received. Well, that only leads me to wanting to write more and get more to you all so let's get going! Nothing to really go over here.**

* * *

Chapter 2: Purpose

The rain had subsided hours ago but Jaune remained rooted to the spot in the center of the pavilion. He couldn't bring himself to pry his eyes from his father's motionless form. His eyes felt heavy, the weight of the world baring down on him.

Something stirred in him, his mind coming back as he lifted his head and looked around his home with deadened eyes. Everything was destroyed. Buildings were scorched black, what blood wasn't washed away by the rain stained the streets. Then there were the bodies. Most of these people he knew, he had seen them every day of his life, living their lives in happiness. Now they were nothing, much like he felt.

A strong gust of wind sent chills through his body, reminding him that he was soaked to the bone from the rainfall. His body shivered, his teeth beginning to clatter as he tried to keep any warmth that he could. His muscles groaned and his bones creaked as he finally pushed himself onto his feet. With a shudder, he moved away from the massacre and walked through the blood and mud that had flooded his village.

His movements were sluggish and his body fought him every step of the way, his stiff muscles refusing to work the way he wanted them to. Despite the pain and discomfort, he pushed forward, not truly feeling anything other than the pounding in his head and the agony in his heart.

Everywhere he went was the same, black buildings, motionless bodies, and broken weapons. The village itself was quiet, apart from a broken building collapsing here and there, no longer capable of supporting the weight of their structures. It looked like one of the scenes from that movie his parents had tried to stop him watching. How he wished this was only a movie…

Another gust nearly brought him to his knees. It wasn't the strength of the wind but the chilling effect it had on him. His entire body refused to stop shivering while at the same time he had lost all feeling in his arms and legs. His clothes clung to his small body, stealing away any and all heat it could produce.

He needed to get out of these clothes, that he was sure of. His legs moved faster as he staggered forward with a new purpose, if only a temporary one. He ignored the feeling of wanting to lay on the ground to sleep and he ran through what remained of his village, not even bothering to look at the random bodies strewn about.

His breath caught as his eyes landed on his house, the building practically pristine compared to those around it. Light scorch marks kissed the walls but it was in far better condition than anything else he had seen so far. Hope swelled within him and he pumped his limbs harder, reaching the front door in a matter of seconds.

That hope quickly plunged as he reached for the doorknob only to find it destroyed, bashed in by a large weapon that took a significant part of the door with it. He pushed against the wooden frame of what remained of the door regardless and it gave way with little resistance.

He steeled himself, eyes clenched tightly as he desperately tried to will away the thoughts that plagued his mind. He was afraid, afraid to find the same scenes from the pavilion. With a raspy breath, he finally pushed through the opening. His throat clenched as his lungs hitched, eyes spilling a few tears that he didn't know he had left.

His eyes roved over the room as he took in everything he could. The furniture was damaged, the house a complete mess but that was it. A cautious hope returned to him as he slowly stumbled through the room. There was no blood, no bodies strewn about carelessly. He moved with careful steps, afraid that if he moved to fast everything would morph into what it was like outside.

The living room was completely upended, as if those that had broken in hadn't wanted anything other than to destroy. His fists clenched at the thought of those monsters, those _things!_ That was all that they wanted, he had known, he had always known. If only his father would have listened, maybe all of this wouldn't have happened.

With a shake of his head he pushed those thoughts aside. It didn't matter anymore. Honestly, nothing seemed to matter. He pushed on to the kitchen, but found it in the same disheveled state that the living room was in. The only saving grace being that there were no bodies, no blood, just like before.

He moved from room to room, the same picture being played over and over, only with different pieces. Everything was destroyed but there were no signs of his family, there weren't any signs of anything. Anxiety filled him as he stepped out of his parents' room, the room in tatters but nothing he hadn't expected.

His body shivered, reminding him of his current state of dress. He rubbed his arms as he turned towards his room. He noticed the tracks of mud that went in the same direction. He pushed them out of his mind however, those were nothing new. They were all over the house.

His room was much the same as the rest of the house. His bed ripped up, clothes thrown haphazardly about. His dresser in the corner had a long gash in it, almost as if they took a sword to it simply because they could. It didn't surprise him though. Not much could at this point. It didn't fill him with joy either, it simply was.

He quickly changed, finding a pair of black shorts and a navy-blue shirt. What was most important was that it was dry. Besides that, the clothes were devoid of any indication of his family. He had heard those beasts talking during the attack, they were targeting his family for some reason. The reason didn't matter anyway. He knew they were after him, that was all that mattered.

But did it? He paused in his steps, and gripped the railing at the bottom of the stairs. Did it actually matter if they caught him now? What did it matter if they found and killed him? He would just be another corpse on the side of the road, just like everyone else, just like Thomas, just like his Dad.

His heart pounded in his chest as he heaved. His chest hurt, the pounding only getting worse as his mind raced with thoughts of creatures in white masks running him down, just like they had tried yesterday. He could see them, smiling at him with a viciousness that only a monster could produce. The sound of steel being wretched from their sheathes echoed for all to hear. Their hands enclosed around his neck while hot breath washed over his face. Dirty fingers clenched and pushed into his skin, robbing him of air as they laughed. All he could do was stare wide eyed at the thing that was now pushing him into the ground. Red hair filled his vision followed by an intricately designed mask with protruding horns. The monster's murderous intent enveloped him as gloved hands tightened their hold.

Spasms raced through his body as he bucked to try and remove the creature. He felt his life fading with each passing moment. Small fists landed uselessly against the beast's chest, the feeble attack not even registering to his would be killer. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he tried to do anything to get away. He punched, kicked and finally, he screamed.

His hands shot up to his neck only to find nothing there. Above him there was no monster, no otherworldly demon or murderer, only the familiar ceiling of his family's home. Breath returned to him in the form of deep, ragged gasps of air, his entire body shaking from head to toe. He realized it wasn't from the cold this time as more tears streamed out of his eyes. He uselessly tried to force back a sob as his frame was wracked with another fit of spasms.

Forcing himself off the floor, desperately fighting the tears that refused to stop. He didn't want to die. He didn't know anything else but he knew he didn't want to die.

He dragged his body from the house despite how exhausted he felt. He needed to get out of there, he needed to leave this god forsaken place. He pushed his body to move through his ruined home, forcing his eyes to ignore everything around him.

Unsteady legs carried him back to the pavilion. Nothing had changed as bodies were still strewn about haphazardly. The only real difference was the smell, the entire area was drenched in the smell of death and rot.

He did his best to not retch at the smell, his eyes hardening as he made his way through the bloodbath. He stopped at his dad's feet. He took in his father's visage one last time, strong and proud, even in death. There was no look of fear or anguish, merely the look of a strong man. But even strong men could fall.

All huntsmen deserved a final burial if it could be granted. He remembered his father telling him this after one particularly savage attack where they had lost many fighters. He wanted to give his father that same proper burial, one that his village always gave the warriors that fell during battle with Grimm or bandits. He tried to pull his dad but struggled against the man's overwhelming weight. It wasn't just his dad's size but the fact that he still wore his combat armor and was soaked through the bone, the body becoming completely waterlogged.

He gave up on the idea, quickly realizing that he had no hope of moving the body. Instead he grabbed onto his father's weapons. Crocea Mors was clenched tightly within his grip and it took everything he had to remove the death grip that was kept on the ancient weapons. With one final shout, he ripped them free, the sword splashing in a pool of mud while the shield rested in the soft earth nearby, stuck in the mud from where it had fallen the day before.

He pulled the shield free first and hefted it up with both hands. The metal was heavy and it nearly tipped him over as he tried to compensate for the weight. While heavy, he was strong enough to carry the shield, using it would be all but impossible in any legitimate way but that was fine, he didn't need to use it, he just needed to get it out of here.

His father had shown him before how to use the shield's other function. Putting a small bit of his aura into the shield, the piece collapsed into a white sheath with a golden trim, and more importantly, no sign of the Arc family symbol. He moved to grab Crocea Mors next, the weight less than the shield itself but still more than he was capable of lifting in any meaningful way.

Again, that didn't matter. He wasn't going to be fighting anything, he just needed to get as far away as possible. The blade slipped seamlessly into the sheath and Jaune held onto it with both hands, clutching it close to his chest as he tried to keep his balance with the added weight.

His eyes landed back on his father's form one last time. There were so many things he wanted to say to him. Too many questions, too many regrets. Instead he just closed his eyes. "Bye, Dad…"

 **/-/**

Jaune panted as he stopped next to a large tree, the shade it offered being the only solace he had received so far. His body dripped with sweat as the hot fall day continued to bake him. The heat from the sun pelted his skin as he took in deep breaths. Normally hiking in the fall wasn't such a chore for the young Arc. In fact, he usually enjoyed such trips with his family.

It was one of their favorite things to do as a family. Camping in the woods was something they regularly did. With little to fear from Grimm due to his father's presence, they were able to enjoy the wilderness every year. He learned a lot from his family about camping and just surviving in the wild in general. But that was never the real reason behind the trips, they were just meant to be fun. And they were, it was honestly one of the best memories he had.

He buried that thought just like he had every time his mind wandered to his family. Those happy memories wouldn't help him right now. All he could hope to do was focus on surviving.

Now however, with Crocea Mors strapped to his side, the tip dragging painfully across the ground like an anchor and with a large pack on his back, the mere activity of hiking was more arduous than any training he had done before to prepare for his life as a huntsman.

The idea brought him no happiness as it once had a week ago. Back then he had thought everything was finally really beginning for him. He had turned ten years old and his father was going to begin training him how to become a huntsman, just like every Arc heir in history. How quickly had that world been stripped from him, without warning or remorse.

Jaune heaved the heavy pack off his back and placed it on the ground, quickly undoing the straps to get to the contents inside. The pack was filled with what little food he could find and his family's tome that previously rested in their family bunker. Aside from his father's weapons, this was the last remaining object of the Arc family, he couldn't have left it behind.

It was a symbol of his family, of what they had accomplished through the ages. Every Arc had written inside of this tome, expanding, and sharing their knowledge of their fighting style. Somewhere in this book he was sure his father had written his own passages. This book contained what could be the last remnants of his father's words and wisdom. He would cherish this book, just as he cherished his family.

Shifting past the book, he grabbed at a piece of fruit that he had managed to salvage from his village. He frowned as his fingers squished into the now rotting food, the skin already turning a sick brownish color. His stomach growled loudly as he dropped the food item on the ground and dug into the sack for something hopefully more appetizing.

His frown deepened as he took out his family's book and turned the bag upside down. He watched as only crumbs fell to the earth. Had he already eaten everything? But that wasn't possible, he was rationing what he had, just like his dad had taught him. He hadn't even eaten anything today!

His anger was only met with pain as his stomach sounded off again, more forceful than before as he gripped his abdomen in pain. His eyes wandered back to the piece of damaged fruit that lay now dirty on the ground. His mother always told him when the fruit turned brown and squishy that it wasn't good to eat. But he was so hungry and it had been fine yesterday…

A howl in the distance ripped his attention away, his blue orbs widening in fear at the distinct sound. Grimm. He swallowed large gasps of air as he pushed down his own fear of the creatures. He had seen Grimm of course, they had attacked Aerilon more than once over the years. Creatures devoid of emotion, their only purpose to destroy humans.

The howls were still a fair bit off but with every day they seemed to get closer, as if the monsters were slowly gaining on him with each passing moment. He shook his head, doing his best to throw that idea away. They weren't following him, how could they? There weren't any Grimm near his home before the attack and it had only been a week since he had left, it took the Grimm much longer to return than that, at least they had before.

His stomach rumbled again and his eyes found the discarded fruit once more. His lip quivered while picking it up, he tried wiping away any dirt but all that managed to do was bruise it further, pieces of the skin coming off and leaving a slimy coating all over it.

Reluctantly he took a small bite out of the side and nearly spit it out. Only through sheer force of will was he able to keep it in and chew, eventually swallowing the very off tasting item. His eyes watered as he took another bite, bigger this time. The texture alone was enough to make him retch but he kept at it, refusing to leave anything behind. He needed to eat, if he didn't eat he would die and that was something he wasn't willing to let happen. He wouldn't let his father's sacrifice be in vain, not after everything that had happened. He didn't care what he had to do, no matter how much it disgusted him or how much it hurt. He would survive.

 **/-/**

Leaves crunched beneath his feet as he rounded on another tree, throwing his arms against the rough bark as he greedily gulped down as much air as he could. Sweat dripped down his brow while his muscles screamed at him to stop. The weight of his pack and Crocea Mors seemed to be heavier than they ever were before.

A series of howls cut through the night air, destroying the calm of the night. Panicked eyes turned towards where he came but saw nothing in the darkness. It didn't matter if he couldn't see them, he could hear them coming, coming for him.

He pushed off the tree he had been using for support and forced his legs to run once more. The burning in his muscles were drowned out by the pounding in his heart as another howl tore into his core. They were closer than before, so close that he could practically feel the monsters that were hunting him with reckless abandon.

He had first heard the sound of the Grimm a few days ago, very faint, and almost unrecognizable if it weren't for his father teaching him how to listen for them. They were so far off that he hadn't even bothered to worry about them. As long as he kept moving away from them the chances they would follow him were nearly zero.

Then the howls continued to get closer, day after day, and soon he realized that he couldn't ignore them anymore. Ever since he had been running as far as his body would take him, falling into sweet unconsciousness due to exhaustion until those horrible roars woke him. Every time he woke they were closer and the panic would return full force.

He gasped for breath but kept pushed on, the only thing aiding him in his escape being the clear night sky illuminated by Remnant's shattered moon. It wasn't perfect by any means but it allowed him to run and at least see where he was going.

He hit the trunk of another tree hard as his body nearly collapsed against the thick wood, only keeping himself standing by digging his nails into the tree. More than sweat poured off his face as his lungs threatened to explode. He just couldn't take in enough air to make the pain stop.

Another roar reverberated through the forest and he pushed off the tree once more, determined to put as much distance as he could between himself and the beasts hunting him. He was too exhausted to run properly, his feet dragging against the coarse forest floor. His foot caught one of the many roots belonging to the tree he had taken a short reprieve on and he tumbled to the unforgiving ground.

He tried to scream but nothing came out as he rolled on the ground. His lungs still burned as they begged him for rest. It wasn't the only part of him asking for it as his leg screamed at him with pain. Managing to sit up, he could barely make out his now swelling ankle. He couldn't even shout out in pain due to his lungs demanding every moment be dedicated to taking in as much air as possible.

Tears swelled in his eyes as he tried to push himself to his feet, only for his body to fail him as he collapsed back onto the ground. The howls were still getting closer but he couldn't move a muscle at this point, nothing was listening to him anymore.

Maybe, just maybe if he caught his breath for a moment he could run again. It would only be for a few seconds, a minute at most. He would shut his eyes and once he was breathing normally again he would go. He couldn't afford to sleep; the Grimm were too close… if they caught him it would be over… only… a few… more seconds…

The deep rumblings of a growl were the next thing he heard as Jaune's eyes bolted open. He instantly regretted it as the sun's harsh light only hurt his eyes, not adjusted to the morning light quite yet.

Another growl reached his ears as panic began to set in. Morning? The sun? But he had only closed his eyes for a few seconds at the most! He slowly forced his eyes open only to confirm his own fears. The meadow he had rested in was now bathed in the light of the sun, the grass wet with the dew from the early morning.

Standing in the meadow only a few yards away was his unofficial alarm clock. The Beowolf was crouched over on four legs and looked every bit as frightening as he had imagined they would up close. This one seemed to be smaller than the one's he had read about but that did nothing to remove the fear that was gripping his heart.

Even a small Beowolf was more than enough to end him. He couldn't fight, he didn't have even the tiniest of clues as to how to properly fight a Grimm. And even if he did, he had nothing to fight it with. Crocea Mors was almost too heavy to carry, let alone use as a weapon.

Even so, he pushed himself to his feet, his eyes never leaving the soulless reddish yellow of the monster in front of him. He ignored the searing pain coming from his ankle and grasped Crocea Mors in his grip. The beast in front of him seemed to take the action for what it was and let out a roar before bounding over to him.

Jaune tried to pull the sword from its sheath only to panic when the sword would not come free. He pulled harder but only managed to move the blade a few inches before it slammed back into place. Of course, he couldn't draw Crocea Mors. He could barely lift it with both hands! Even if he had the strength he wouldn't have been able to do it. The sword was too long for his small reach to fully extend it out, he could never wield it like this, he wasn't his father.

At the last second, he dove to the side, his movements unbalanced and frantic as he felt the Beowolf narrowly miss him. He fumbled with Crocea Mors at his waist as he wrenched the weapon free just in time to hold it before him as the Beowolf crashed against him. His defense, if one could even call it that, broke immediately upon contact with the Grimm's claws.

His aura flared to life as he was sent tumbling across the meadow. More than his ankle burned painfully as he scrambled to his feet, using the still sheathed sword as a crutch to push himself up. The Beowolf moved with all the elegance of a freight train as it bore down upon him again, it's black tongue hanging freely from its mouth as it fell upon him at full speed.

Remembering what little his father had taught him, Jaune pushed his aura into Crocea Mors, willing it to come to his defense. And so, it did as the sheath expanded into his forefather's vanguard, taking the brunt of the Beowolf's attack but still sending him reeling through the air until his back painfully impacted against the trunk of another tree.

The world seemed to spin as he hacked up a number of indiscernible liquids. The Beowolf's howl was the only thing that kept Jaune focused on the task at hand, surviving. Not even bothering to look at the monster, he raised his shield just in time to feel the beast strike him again. Claws ripped and screeched at his family's shield but the metal held true and refused to be torn asunder by the juvenile Beowolf's assault.

The attacks were endless as the monster continued to hammer away at the shield. His arms screamed in agony with every strike, his frail limbs vibrating painfully with every strike. He needed to stop the attacks before his arms broke under the pressure. Waiting for a small gap in the strikes, Jaune lunged forward with all his might.

Using the shield as a battering ram, Jaune crashed into the small Beowolf and gave a cry of victory as he felt the creature lose its balance and fall backwards. He fell with the beast, the shield crashing into the beast's chest as Jaune put all of his weight into it, trying to cave in the monster's ribcage.

Sadly, it's bones held and all he received for his troubles was a long claw flying up his side and ripping down his arm. His aura protected him from the damage but he felt the excruciating pain as if the claw had pierced his flesh and tore his arm open.

Jaune fought back tears as the Beowolf continued to tear at him from below as the beast tried to dislodge him. Luckily, the added weight of Crocea Mors allowed him to avoid being bucked off right away. He raised the shield to his side to block a claw before having to lean back to avoid the snapping maw that was previously being held back by the shield.

On instinct, he brought the shield back, the upper edge catching the Beowolf across its snout. The action left a nasty gash on its bone-white mask as blood seeped freely from the fresh wound. Jaune's eyes widened at the sight before they darted to the edges of his shield. He didn't need his sword to kill the Beowolf, he just needed something sharp.

Raising the shield above his head, he brought it down with all his might, bringing the bottom point of the shield down squarely on the Grimm's head. Blood gushed from the wound but Jaune paid it no mind as he raised the shield up again and drove the point into the same spot, only harder. He ignored the wails of pain from the Beowolf as he raised the shield again and slammed it down once more. Again and again he repeated the action, ignoring everything else in the process. Slowly the howls ceased as the creature's limbs fell uselessly to the side, completely lifeless.

Still he hacked at the Grimm's face with his shield, refusing to let the monster have even a second's reprieve. It wasn't until black wisps of smoke started forming that he stopped. He rolled off the now decaying body and lay flat on his back, taking in deep breaths as he tried to process what had just happened.

He, he had actually killed a Beowolf, all by himself! His head rolled to the side just to confirm it again and there it was, nearly completely gone, the rotting carcass of his first Grimm kill. Only trained huntsmen were capable of killing Grimm, and yet here he was, only ten years old and he had just done it!

A series of howls cut his euphoria down just as quickly as he had the Beowolf next to him. There were more of them? He growled to himself as he pushed himself up to his feet. He had to keep moving, he wouldn't let them catch him. He pushed his aura into his shield once more and it collapsed into its sheath form. Strapping it to his side once more, Jaune started running away from the sounds of the Grimm chasing him.

He wouldn't let them get to him, he would survive.

 **/-/**

Surviving proved more difficult a task than he had ever expected. He had run the majority of the day but judging by the constant howling the Grimm were gaining on him. He had seen them a few times now, their large towering forms rushing past him as they hunted for their prey.

He wasn't sure what had allowed him to avoid them for so long now that they were essentially on top of him. He knew Grimm could use their other senses such as sight, smell, and hearing. They should have found him hours ago but they hadn't.

Every time it looked like one was going to find him, something would draw its attention away and he would be saved. Such strokes of luck were bound to run out however, and he knew it. He needed to escape them, find a village or maybe even a huntsman.

He had entertained the idea of fighting them as well and even now the thought tempted him. His fingers curled around the hilt of Crocea Mors as he slowly worked his way through a bush.

He had done it once, he knew he could kill a Grimm if he had to. If he could just kill the Grimm around him… No. He savagely beat that idea out of his head. He had barely survived the first Beowolf and that one had been small. The ones he had seen since then were anything but. These were fully grown Grimm; easily larger than any man he had ever seen. He had as much chance of killing these Beowolves as he did growing wings and flying away.

No, he would just sneak past them and hopefully find help. He had to be close to the nearest town. His family had visited it once or twice in the past and it usually only took them a week to get there. Just a little more, he was sure of it.

A nearby growl forced him to stop moving, his body felt frozen as blood red eyes came out the bush in front of him. They glared at him with an unyielding hatred that he had never seen before. The beast slowly marched towards him, each footfall thundering in his ears as it inched nearer.

It came to a stop in front of him, so close that he could feel the beast's hot breath blow across his face. Before the beast could take the final step and rip him to shreds the strangest feeling took over. Not the rising panic he had been feeling all day. Nor was it an instinctual rage at finally being cornered.

No, the strangest sense of calm flowed through his body instead. His fear vanished, despite the fact the largest Beowolf he had ever seen was mere inches from him.

The Grimm too went through a change. Its tense body seemed to relax as its head tilted to the side before sniffing Jaune. He felt the intake of breath and it even brushed his hair. Still he didn't move and with a muffled amazement the Grimm snorted at him and turned away, lumbering in another direction and heading into the forest.

The surreal feeling faded almost as quickly as it had come on and it took all he had to not scream. The panic set in like a crashing wave of water from a broken dam. He took large gulps of air as he held his pounding heart. Eyes wide, Jaune scanned the area for anything, anything that could explain what had just happened.

There! Something out of place, something that didn't belong. Hiding behind a tree a fair distance away was a mop of unruly orange hair and vibrant turquoise eyes that locked with his the moment he found them. The owner of those eyes revealed the rest of themselves from behind their tree and glanced around the field anxiously.

Finally! Someone was trying to help him. It didn't matter in the slightest that they looked to be about his age. All that mattered was he had found someone. Without even thinking about it, he left his hiding spot and started running to his savior.

He was forced to stop with the panic look on her face and her waving arms begging him to stop. He did so without hesitation and not a moment too soon as two more Beowolves sprinted through the space between them. His heart hammered at the near miss and looked at the girl with pleading eyes, as if begging for instructions.

Said girl looked around again and nodded to herself before she pointed to his right before disappearing into the bush and out of sight. A different kind of panic set in as he sprinted in the general direction the girl had pointed, stopping only at a large rock he could use as cover.

His eyes roved the field for any sign of the girl but he couldn't find the girl anywhere. He strained his eyes but could only make out the large outlines of the Grimm that prowled the field. Where was she? Had she abandoned him too?

"Ow." he whispered to himself as he held the side of his head. He looked down at the small pebble that was now rolling at his feet. Turning his head to the left, relief filled him as he was greeted to the same tuff of orange hair. He wanted nothing more than to run to the girl but bit back the urge, waiting on whatever signal she would give.

He stared into her turquoise eyes unblinking as he waited. What felt like an eternity was in reality only a few seconds before she ushered him towards her. Never in his life had he moved as quickly as he did just now as he cleared the distance between them.

Unfortunately, his frantic movements garnered the attention of the surrounding Grimm as howls echoed from all around as the thunderous sound of padded footfalls filled the forest. As he reached the girl he saw her extended hand and reached for it, clasping her hand like his life depended on it. With a strength very unbefitting of a girl her size, he was yanked off his feet and flung into the bushes as the Beowolves finally converged on their location.

He turned just in time to see the massive skull of a Beowolf push through the bush as trepidation rushed through him. The beast was bigger than anything he had seen before as it slowly lumbered through the bush, each second revealing more of its massive frame.

As the beast grew nearer he felt a firm hand land on his shoulder and grip it tightly. A sense of calm washed over him moments later. It was hard to explain the feeling, despite seeing certain death in front of him he couldn't even manage the slightest feeling of panic or fear. It was almost as if he had been… not quite numbed but more like a strong sense of tranquility filled him.

The Beowolf seemed to notice the change as well as it tilted its head in his direction. Almost as if it was confused, the monster took a few more paces forward and swept at the ground at his feet. Its large paws tore away at the earth and left deep grooves in the ground but did little else. Snorting much like the one before, the Beowolf turned on his hunches and bounded out of the bush in search for more prey.

Not quite believing his eyes, Jaune stared at the place the Beowolf had fled, waiting for the Grimm to return and finish the job. When it became clear that it was going to do no such thing Jaune turned to the hand that was still resting on his shoulder.

Instead of the orange haired girl he had been expecting, he was met with a fair skinned boy around his age with nearly shoulder length black hair with a magenta stripe running down the left side of his head. His eyes matched said streak of hair as they were also a light shade of magenta. His clothes consisted of a very worn out green tunic top and what he could only assumed used to be white pants, now they were just a mix of different shades of brown and mismatched patches.

"Renny, I think we're good now, the Grimm are gone."

The slightly high-pitched voice made him nearly jump as he finally found the orange haired girl he had seen earlier. Crouched next to both of them, he idly noticed that the boy was also holding onto the girl. She wore a pair of equally dirty pink pants that were curled up to just below her knees and a stained white tank top with a dull green jacket that seemed one or two sizes too small for her. Despite her ragged appearance, her smile was bright and comforting. How she could radiate such joy while being surrounded by Grimm he had no idea.

"Are you sure, Nora?"

"Yep! They're long gone. You don't want to tire yourself out, unless you want me to carry you!?"

The girl seemed overly excited about that prospect for some reason but the raven-haired boy didn't seem to mind in the slightest. If anything, he smiled tiredly at the exuberant girl and let go of both of them. "There's no need for that Nora. I can walk fine on my own."

It was almost instantaneous. One second everything seemed serene. As if nothing could bother him, not even the idea of death via Grimm. But the moment this boy, Ren, let go of him that feeling abandoned him. At least the panic he had been feeling before hadn't returned, he just felt, well for a lack of a better word, normal.

"Thank you for saving me. My name in Jaune."

"Hi! My name is Nora! What were you doing out here all by yourself? Were you trying to become one with the Beowolf pack and they ended up turning on you? I thought about doing that too once, but Renny here stopped me. I always wondered what would happen if I tried…"

"Nora please. He just survived a pack of Beowolves. I don't think he's ready for you just yet." Magenta eyes turned to him and the boy gave a short bow. "I apologize for Nora. Try not to take what she says too seriously. My name is Lie Ren."

"But everyone just calls him Renny!"

With an exasperated sigh, the boy merely waved the girl off. "Ren is fine. Most refer to me as that anyway."

Jaune smiled and nodded at the two. One with seemingly endless energy and the other almost as dead on his feet as he felt. A second look however, Jaune could easily see a sheen of sweat across the boy's skin and his breaths were deeper and faster than Nora's.

"Ooooh. Is that a sword!? Can I see it? Please?"

Jaune yelped as the girl appeared at his side, eyes glued onto Crocea Mors with clear curiosity. He gave a small laugh before adjusting it. If Nora was anything like his sisters it wouldn't matter what he said, she'd have her way. And it wasn't like he wanted to say no to begin with. Who was he to say no to the people who saved him?

A loud howl cut through the dimming forest and stopped him in his tracks. A shiver was sent down his spine. Fear started to fill him again before a hand gripped his shoulder. The feeling quickly faded, and he looked into the eyes of his new friend.

"Perhaps we should go to Shion before more of them find us? It's not safe out in the open."

Jaune nodded at the suggestion, pointedly ignoring Nora's pout before she too smiled and nodded along. He hoped that the village was close by, he didn't know how much further he could walk.

 **/-/**

As it turned out, Shion was fairly close. They reached the village walls quickly and just as quickly scolded by the village militia that manned the walls. Apparently, this hadn't been the first time Nora and Ren left the safety of the city walls and judging by the guard's expression while lecturing them he knew it wouldn't be the last.

The three of them made it through the village with little trouble after that. They offered to show him around but this wasn't the first time he had visited Shion. His family would occasionally take vacations in the slightly smaller town when they wanted to get away. It was why he had been trying to reach Shion in the first place, it was the only place he was familiar with.

Though the part of town that Ren and Nora had led him to was something completely foreign to him. The entire area seemed dirtier than the rest of the village, the people in the streets far less kind and welcoming than they were before. All of that was forgotten as they approached a large building.

It was clearly the largest building in the area but was by far the worst off. Windows were broken in several places, the walls looked as if they've never seen a coat of paint besides dirt and even some of the edges appeared to be crumbling.

The sight of such a destroyed building was enough to stop Jaune in his tracks. Flashes of other buildings surrounded it, a lit with flames. His breath quickened as more images flashed before his eyes, bodies, people running, screaming in the distant, fire, so much fire.

And in an instant, it was gone. His breathing returned to normal, his body relaxed and his mind went blank. He turned to the hand on his shoulder and then at its owner. He gave Ren a questioning look, as if to ask what he was doing.

"Are you alright Jaune? You seemed panicked for a moment."

The concern in the boy's eyes were clear and Jaune smiled at one of his saviors before removing his hand. The calm seemed to leave him but the panic did not set in. "I'm fine. What is this place?"

"It's our home!" Nora bounded over to him and jumped on his back, knocking him clear off his feet as he was completely incapable of supporting her added weight. The girl didn't seem bothered in the slightest as she just giggled as he tried to free himself from their now tangled limbs.

Normally such an action would have been highly annoying. Sapphire had done this to him a thousand times, something about needing to do so while she was still bigger than he was. Now however, he welcomed the contact, even when it became painfully apparent that Nora was _much_ stronger than he was.

Somehow Ren managed to peel the hyperactive girl off him before helping him up as well. "This is Shion's orphanage. We've lived here for a few months. I'm sure they'll welcome you with open arms."

Jaune merely nodded and followed the pair into the run-down building. He was glad that Ren had assumed that he didn't have anywhere else to go. He supposed it wasn't hard to figure out. Alone in the woods, covered in cuts and scrapes, torn clothes, being hunted by Grimm. Now that he thought about it, there really weren't that many options left.

The building seemed to be packed with kids of all ages. Each room he passed had at least five or six crammed in a room that should at best fit four. Most of them looked as dirty as he was and their clothes were for the most part in a worse condition than either Ren or Nora's. A few of them would look up from whatever they were doing to look at the trio as they passed by, some outright pointing while trying to get the attention of the others.

He tried to ignore the stares and whispers but he squirmed nonetheless under all the attention that came their way. They quickly made their way through the cramped halls before they reached a large open common area. It looked similar to the gym at his school back home, if it wasn't for the lack of care and upkeep of course.

More children littered about this room, though with the extra space they didn't seem nearly as cramped and he could actually get a good look at a few of them. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of one of the children in front of him. The boy looked to be a few years older than he was, maybe fourteen or fifteen with brown hair and tanned skin. That wasn't what had drawn his attention however, it was the two protruding horns that were coming out of his head. They were small but very noticeable.

Nora was the closest to the boy and he grasped her arm and tried to drag her closer to himself. The girl noticed and gave him a strange look before she smiled and hooked her arm around his and let him draw her closer. His eyes never left the horned boy as they walked past him but he felt relief nonetheless as the boy didn't even seem to pay them any attention.

They worked their way through the run-down gym before they finally made it to the end where a small group of kids no older than five or six sat in a circle as a middle-aged woman with black hair was reading from a book. The woman looked tired and her face seemed to sag lightly but she smiled brightly at the children gathered around her.

Her outfit looked much like the rest of those that lived here, a long gray dress that came down to her ankles that was covered in patches of a variety of colors as well as a dirtied white apron over the top of it. Her brown eyes watched the children with an energy that one wouldn't be able to tell she had if you looked at her face. They danced from child to child, watching their reactions to the story that the woman had clearly memorized as she never even glanced at the book in her hands.

The children ooohed and awed as she delivered the tale, all of them enraptured with the story itself. Jaune didn't dare interrupt until it was finished, not wanting to ruin the moment. He loved stories himself, his mother would read to him all the time about brave heroes saving the day. Those were his favorite, the ones that reminded him of his father, the ones that inspired him to become a hero.

The story ended shortly, much to the displeasure of the children around the woman. In a way that very much reminded him of his own mother, she shooed them away with a gentle practiced ease and rose from her seat. The woman instantly locked eyes with him and made her way over to the three standing ten-year-old's.

"My, my, I was wondering where you two have wandered off to so late in the day. You wouldn't have been in the forest again would you Ren? Nora?"

Ren merely looked down and away from the woman while Nora gave her the biggest grin he had ever seen. The woman merely shook her head with an exasperated shake and sighed to herself. "What will I do with you two? And who is this with you? Did you make a friend?"

Before he could respond, Nora bounded up to the woman and grasped the hem of her dress. His arm still wrapped in hers, Jaune barely kept his feet under him as he was forced to follow. Nora beamed up at the woman as she presented him like some kind of trophy. "Yep! This is Jaune! We found him in the forest running away from some Grimm. We rescued him!"

The woman's eyes widened and he heard gasps from all around him as the children all stopped what they were doing to stare at the three of them. She quickly knelt down to look them in the eyes, not unlike how Thomas had done back home. She gave them a serious look and regarded Ren as she spoke. "Is this true, Lie?"

Instead of giving a verbal answer, Ren merely nodded while meeting the woman's gaze. She gave a soft tut to herself before she stood up quickly and made a motion to someone else in the room before turning back to them. "Well while I wish you would quit leaving the village walls I am glad that you were able to save Jaune here. Why don't you come with me? You all must be tired and hungry after your adventure today, no?"

At that moment Jaune's stomach let loose what could only be described as a ferocious growl which caused him to blush beet red and made Nora giggle next to him. The woman on the other hand laughed softly into her hand before she gestured to follow her. "I'll take that as a yes, come along children."

Jaune followed the still unnamed woman with Ren and Nora at his sides. The children in their way quickly parted and made a path as they walked off into one of the side halls and into an empty room. There was only one chair in the room but at least there were several cushions for them to sit on which Jaune all but collapsed on as his body finally gave out.

Adrenaline could only carry one so far and it was a miracle he hadn't passed out sooner. Somehow, he remained conscious but he knew that he wasn't going to be moving anytime soon, at least not under his own power.

"Is something wrong Miss Angelina?"

The woman sat on the chair and gave Ren a strained smile before she sighed to herself. "As perceptive as always Lie. Nothing is wrong per se. In the future though please try not to talk about Grimm by the other children. All those that live here have lost something, most have lost that something to the creatures of Grimm. There's no need to bring up such memories if we can avoid it."

For the first time he had seen her, Nora looked depressed and she hung her head in shame. It didn't last however as Angelina moved to give the girl a hug, the much smaller girl returning the hug with a muffled hiccup and an apology.

The small but unmistakable sound of plates clattering alerted Jaune to a newcomer to the room. His breath hitched only momentarily as his eyes were drawn to the long dog like ears flopping on either side of this woman's head. She was younger than Angelina but still far older than any of the kids that lived here.

She was dressed similarly to Angelina with the exception of her dress being a light blue instead of gray. Her hair was a dirty blond that went just past her shoulders while her green eyes shone with a vibrant energy that seemed to extrude happiness.

Her happy demeanor did nothing to dissuade the cautiousness he felt as he watched her. Without even trying he moved closer to Ren who was busy accepting a cup of water and a bowl of soup from the gracious woman.

She turned to him and offered him a cup and bowl, a smile on her face as she bent down to speak with him. "Hello there little one, my name is Samantha. May I have your name?"

The words burned in his ears as someone else flashed through his mind. He bit down on his tongue to not say anything as he glared at the woman, refusing to speak, or touch the offered food and water. He watched as her smile faded and replaced with a frown as she regarded him. It didn't break his resolve as he continued to glare at her.

"Samantha, the boy has been through quite a bit today. From what I'm told he was nearly devoured by a Beowolf. It might be best to give him some space. Just leave his food and water next to him, I'm sure he'll get to it eventually."

The younger woman glanced at Angelina and then back to him with a hesitant look before sighing and stood up, giving the last cup and bowl to Nora. "As you say Mistress."

The woman stood up and took her place behind Angelina, all the while watching him with a confused expression. He tried to pay her no mind as he focused on the food in front of him before he set it back down.

"Eat my child. You can't argue that you aren't hungry. You look as if you haven't eaten in days. Come now, we don't have much but you're welcome to have as much as we can offer."

He wanted to believe the kind woman's words but his eyes drifted back to the woman who had given him the meal and his eyes hardened. He glared at the dog woman until he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see a smiling Nora with a spoonful of whatever kind of soup was in her bowl.

"Open up!"

Before he could even respond she had jammed the spoon into his mouth and all but forced him to swallow its contents. The effect was nearly instantaneous as his stomach growled loudly and demanded more food. Fear gave way to hunger as he quickly snatched up the bowl in front of him and devoured everything in the bowl without a second thought. The cup of water was quickly emptied as well as he sighed with satisfaction.

"My, my. What gusto. I believe someone wasn't letting on to how hungry they were. Samantha, would you please fetch another bowl? I do believe he hasn't had his fill yet."

With a silent nod, the faunus exited the room and left the four of them alone. Angelina gave them all a kind smile as she sat back down in her chair, Nora still clutched in her arms as she now took her spot in the woman's lap. "Now Jaune, since Ren brought you here I'm assuming you will be staying with us for some time. Is that right?"

Jaune didn't know how to respond to that as he looked down and played with his hands. His mother did say to always tell the truth. "I don't know. I don't have anywhere else to go."

The woman nodded sadly and barely glanced away as the dog faunus returned to the room with more food. "Well, you're welcome to stay here as long as you would like. It seems like you've already made good friends with Ren and Nora here."

Jaune gave a weak smile and accepted the food from Samantha with only a minimal flinch, his hunger overwhelming any mistrust he may have had for the woman. Samantha clearly noticed the flinch but said nothing as she took her place behind Angelina.

"Well if you're going to be staying with us for a while why not tell us a little about yourself so that we can get to know you a little better? Do you know what village you came from?"

He was going to automatically respond but his throat clenched as his eyes landed on the curious face of the faunus in the corner. Words replayed in his mind, they were fuzzy, hard to make out over the pouring rain and explosions but he could still hear them. Hadn't that monster in black and red said something about hurting the Arcs? Wasn't that their goal? He clenched his eyes as he tried to focus on the words, trying to wipe away the fuzz that surrounded them.

"If you can't remember my dear then please don't strain yourself. Do you at least remember what happened to it? Or maybe your parents?"

His lips felt dry as more images flashed through his mind. His home, his friends, destroyed buildings, his father soaked in blood…

"It… it was attacked." He looked up but not at Angelina, instead he focused on the green eyes of Samantha. "It was attacked by monsters, monsters with white masks that killed everyone. Even-" He paused as he tried to fight back a hiccup, fresh tears streaming down his face. "Even my dad."

Another dam broke as he cried again. He tried to wipe away the tears but they refused to give up as more replaced what he got rid of. His shoulders hitched and his body went ridged as he felt two pairs of arms wrap around him. He opened his eyes to see both Ren and Nora holding him.

The tears slowly stopped as he reveled in their embrace. It felt familiar, like the ones his sisters would give him if he hurt himself. It felt warm, it felt safe."

"I think that's enough for one night. Nora, Ren. Why don't you take Jaune with you to get some rest, he can stay in your room."

The three children said nothing at the woman's words but moved nonetheless. Both Ren and Nora led Jaune by the hand as they worked through the maze-like building until they found an empty room with a few mattresses without frames on the floor.

No words were said as they each laid down on an empty mattress. The day's events had taken just as much out of Ren and Nora as it had Jaune. He curled up and tried to get comfortable but the drafty building sent waves of cold air across his exposed skin. The hot fall day had given way to a cold autumn night.

Shivers ran across his skin as his teeth clattered to try and stave off the cold but to no avail. A quiet rustling was his only warning as he felt something warm crawl up behind him. He didn't have time to comment as something landed in front of him and scooted closer to him until it was touching him.

The mop of orange hair was all he needed to see to know that it was Nora who was now curled into him, which meant it was Ren behind him. Nothing was said as the shivers finally stopped and he relaxed into the shared body heat.

Finally, exhaustion hit him as his eyes began to flutter and close. He couldn't help the smile that came to his face, surrounded by friends that would keep him safe. He knew they would without having to ask. And he would protect them in kind. His father told him that an Arc was a guardian, a protector. He couldn't protect his family but he would protect his new one.

With that final thought, he slipped into sweet unconsciousness and for the first time in over a week.

He did not stir once.

* * *

 **And another chapter complete! Now all I want to say is first of all thank you for those that are still sticking with this story and secondly, to apologize for the insanely long wait.**

 **Now I do want to state that a delay such as this one will not happen again due to the circumstances involving the delay should no longer be a factor. Though the silver-lining of this long delay was that I've been able to significantly plan out in detail this entire story with the aid of a friend which should make these chapters comes out much sooner now that the concrete plan is in place.**

 **I don't want to put an upload date until I fully hit my rhythm with this story but I'm aiming for at least once a month. Let's hope for the best there.**

 **As always, leave a review letting me know what you liked, didn't like, suggestions for improvement and everything in between. I love hearing from my audience and take all constructive criticism to heart!**


	3. A Summer's Qrow

**Hopping right along now. I do truly appreciate all the reviews that I've received for the story thus far. Even if I don't respond to all of them I do read every single one so thank you for those that did review!**

 **Nothing else to go over here though so we're going to go right into it.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: A Summer's Qrow**

Jaune pushed aside the branches of a bush and dashed through the opening. His feet slid across the slick grass before he came to a stop behind a large tree. Blue eyes scanned the surrounding area in search of his friends only to find nothing.

"Ren, where are you?" he whispered.

His voice was overwhelmed by a loud crack of thunder that rang out through the forest. Not a moment later the area was drenched in a heavy rain. The patters of raindrops covered his movements while he sprinted through the dense foliage. He ignored the familiar feeling of his clothes soaking through, sticking to his skin.

Spring in Anima was always wet and this year seemed to prove the rule. It wasn't the first time he had been caught in the rain and it certainly wouldn't be the last. By now running through a storm didn't slow him down like it once had, a testament to just how often he found himself outside during such weather.

Granted, if the only options were to stay locked up in Shion's orphanage or to explore the surrounding forests, there wasn't much of a choice.

He had lost count of the number of times he'd been told to stay within the village walls. The Headmistress Angelina had explained to not only him but Nora and Ren as well that leaving the city walls could lead to terrible things. Those things usually ended with a Grimm taking a bite out of one of them.

His hand rested on the hilt of his family's weapon. Its weight at his side was comforting, a constant reminder that his family was still there, protecting him, even if only through the means of a weapon.

While a far cry from being able to use the sword the way it was meant to be used, he at least had the strength to draw the blade, a marked improvement from the first time he had tried to use the ancestral sword.

Despite the heavy rainfall, the sound of a rustling bush grabbed his attention and he spun to face it. His grip tightened around Crocea Mors but before he could draw the weapon he was met with pale pink eyes.

An equally drenched Ren emerged from the bush. The boy's chest heaved as he leaned against a nearby tree.

"Ren, you scared me. Where's Nora?"

Ren took a moment to gather himself before he sighed and looked deeper into the forest. "I don't know. I lost her while I was running away but that was a bit ago. I have no idea where she is now."

Jaune bit his lip while looking around. Aside from the thunder and torrential downpour the forest was quiet, as if the woodland itself was empty. He knew better, he knew what was out there.

"If we run to the village gates we may be able to make it. This is our best chance."

Blue eyes stared into magenta before he quickly nodded. Ren was tired. If this lasted any longer he would never make it back to the village under his own strength, they both knew it. If Jaune had to help Ren make it back then neither of them would. It wasn't their best chance, it was their only chance.

Jaune took off first, more than willing to play the role as bait. Out of the three of them he had the strongest Aura and by extension his stamina was just as strong. Nora may have overwhelmed him in a test of strength but when it came to endurance there was no question who came out on top.

He didn't need to spare a glance behind him to know that Ren was following closely. Ren may have been nearly spent but they didn't have much farther to go, the village gates should only be a few minutes run away.

The less than subtle sound of something large moving through the dense foliage brought his vision to the side. It was different than when either Ren or he moved through the bushes. The stalker moved with a reckless abandon, not caring for what got in its way or who knew it was coming. He couldn't make out the shape of whatever it was but he didn't have to, it looked like it caught up.

"Come on Ren! We're almost there! Faster!"

He could hear the quickened steps of his friend and only a moment later he saw the back of his green shirt. No doubt Ren heard what he had and decided to forego any semblance of a plan and fell into a full sprint to safety.

Despite his best efforts he knew he would never catch Ren, the boy was just too fast. It showed as Ren continued to put distance between them even as he pumped his legs as hard as he could. The difference in their speed was just too great.

Another rustling of the bush was the only warning they received before a blur cut in front of their path. It happened in an instant. One moment Ren was slowly pulling ahead and the next he was being pulled into the bushes, his fading scream the only evidence he had been there at all.

"Ren!"

His shout went unanswered and he felt his throat tighten. He tried to follow but only found broken branches and disturbed earth. "Ren!" he shouted, only to receive the deafening answer of rainfall.

He freed Crocea Mors from his hip and deployed the shield, leaving the sword sheathed as it wouldn't be much help to him right now. It took both hands to use either the shield or sword and truth be told he was better with the shield.

His eyes raced around him and he slowly moved through the forest. He could still make it to the village. If he could then everything would be alright. Cautious steps gave way to careless running as he turned and ran for the safety of Shion. He was so close!

Another rustling nearby made his heart jump but gave him enough time to turn and raise his shield in time to block whatever had lunged for him. The shield did little to dissuade his attacker as they slammed into him, the force blowing him back.

The muddy ground did little to give him any traction but he kept his feet under him even as he felt another hit crash into his shield. The force behind the strikes was numbing but he gritted his teeth as he took another step back.

He felt the slick root of a tree before he fell but could do nothing while his foot rolled off the wet wood and he tumbled into the mud.

He tried to raise his shield but his arm was quickly pinned, leaving him defenseless as he stared into the ferocious eyes of his assailant.

"RAWR!"

"That's enough Nora, you win. Again. Let Jaune up"

Jaune let out a tired sigh as Nora climbed off him. He didn't bother getting up right away and laid in the mud. They were so close! How did Nora manage to get them both?

"I am the mightiest Beowolf in all of Remnant! Fear me humans!"

He couldn't help but laugh as she did her best impersonation of a Beowolf, which was to say wasn't very good at all. Ren merely smiled and tried to calm her down for what little good that would do. "Yes Nora, it is truly a blessing that you're on our side and not the Grimm's."

Nora nodded happily while reaching down and grabbing Jaune's arm. With a single pull, she ripped him from his spot and planted him on his feet. "I know! I always did wonder what would happen if I went with that Beowolf pack."

Jaune could only chuckle at the thoughtful expression she gave her own question. It was a question she had asked on numerous occasions and one that never received an answer. Ren had a similar expression on his face and the three began moving back towards Shion.

The guards saw them first and two of the men slowly made their way over to them. They had thick brown coats shielding their bodies from the rain but it did little to keep the men dry. The expression each man held were mixed but there was a clear annoyance to them that made Jaune shrink back behind Ren.

Nora on the other hand bounded over to the grown men. "Hi! Did you come out here to join us? Those two could really use your help. They're not very good~".

The last part came out as a loud whisper and the two men shared a look before sighing. With a shake of his head, the taller one grunted before he pointed back towards the village. "No Nora, we did not come out here to play. Angelina asked us to find you three, again. How many times have we told you to not play outside the walls?"

"Forty-six times, including this one, sir."

The man gave Ren a dry look and growled to himself, causing Jaune to wince at his friend's blunt answer. It was clear that Ren wasn't trying to be smart with the guard, he merely answered the question. A question that Jaune knew wasn't meant to be answered.

The other guard patted his friend on the shoulder before turning to the rest of them. "Just… just go back to the orphanage and stay there for a bit ok? We've been searching for you three for hours now and you've caused enough trouble. I know Angelina wants to have words with all of you. Now hurry up."

That managed to wipe out Nora's good mood and the three of them traded worried looks. No one at the orphanage liked to have words with the Headmistress. She would never yell at them. Nor would she raise her hand to any of them. She would instead tear you down with guilt. Her disappointment in you was always enough to get to any of the children under her care.

The trio hurried and made their way to the orphanage. Despite not wanting to be lectured by the aging woman, they wanted to upset her more even less. They all knew how important she was to the orphanage. She gave up so much to make sure they all had at least something.

The orphanage was packed more than usual, the heavy rains forcing everyone inside less they risk the caretakers' wrath. They hated when any of them brought in any extra mud or dirt. With the slosh of their steps and the glares they were receiving by a few of the caretakers, it appeared they were doing just that.

He hadn't noticed how dirty they had become playing but now that he took a moment, Jaune noted that all of them were caked in layers of mud. If anything, he had to blame Nora for jumping on them and forcing them into the mud. Somehow, he felt that excuse wouldn't hold up in front of the Headmistress.

"You three! Just where have you been? And you're covered head to toe in mud! What were you three thinking?"

A small growl escaped Jaune's throat at the sight of Samantha. The dog faunus was someone that he had come to odds with on more than one occasion. His dislike for her was well known and he knew it had become mutual. The way she focused her glare solely on him proved as much. But that was fine, she was mad with him because he knew what she truly was, even if everyone else couldn't see it.

Ren's dark locks of hair filled his vision, the Mistralian boy bowing slightly to the older woman while putting himself between Jaune and the faunus. "We're sorry Miss Samantha. We were playing in the forest and got caught in the rain. We didn't mean to cause any problems."

Her visage softened before she sighed to herself. "In the forest again? I should have known. Did the guards find you or did you just come back on your own?"

The way all three of the children averted their eyes told the caretaker all she needed to know and forced back another sigh. "I'll have to apologize to them later…" She turned back to the trio and her eyes hardened. "Now for you three. How many times have we told you? Do. Not. Leave. Shion."

The words were punctuated and over emphasized to the point that even Ren didn't dare answer the irritated woman's question. Instead they merely stared at their feet and mumbled out more apologies.

"Don't waste your breath on me. I'm not the one you need to apologize to. The Headmistress has been worried sick about you three all day. Now go wash up and go to your room. Angelina will be there shortly to talk with all of you. Now go, hurry up!"

They did so without any complaint but Jaune did turn back to glare at the dog-eared woman once more. Her narrowed eyes told him she saw it but he didn't care. He was watching her and he wanted her to know.

He wouldn't be fooled again.

 **/-/**

"Come in."

Angelina didn't bother to look away from the paperwork she busied herself with as the creaky door to her office opened to reveal an irritated faunus woman. The woman tried to school her features but failed to hide her annoyance even as she took a seat across from her.

"You know Samantha, you do not need to knock. You are welcome to come in at any time. Everyone is."

A sigh escaped the younger woman before she responded. "I know Mistress but it's proper manners to knock before entering. I really wish you would try to enforce this to all the children here. Just because they live in an orphanage doesn't mean they shouldn't learn proper etiquette."

Glancing over the paper once more, Angelina signed her name on the bottom and delicately placed the paper on the stack of documents next to her. "Perhaps, but I feel that there are far more important things for them to learn first. Maybe after they can learn arbitrary societal norms."

"And what are they learning that is more important?"

"To heal."

Silence permeated the air and allowed Angelina to pull out a rather bulky folder from her desk and open it so that Samantha could see. "Every child in this orphanage has suffered one tragedy or another. Those that are here have lost something in some way, more times than not they've lost their entire world. It's true, we could spend our time cramming in knowledge and societal norms to try and make them more appealing to potential adopters and thus lessening our burden. In the long run, it would certainly be beneficial for us. I'm sure you're aware that our finances are always teetering on the edge?"

The faunus nodded but remained silent as the older woman continued. "We could do that but I feel it would be better to instead let those that live here to enjoy what little parts of their lives that they can. For those that lost everything, I feel it's more important that they can find even the smallest morsel of happiness. If only to show them this world isn't as cruel and terrible as it seems. Don't you agree?"

Samantha's ears seemed to droop while her face became heavy with thought. "Yes Mistress. I suppose I never thought of it in that way. I knew of course. There's a reason why they're here after all. It's just…" she stopped mid-sentence, her face unsure of what to say.

"You want to help them, you just don't know how?"

The dog faunus nodded, a sad smile resting on her face. "I always thought that there was nothing more important to an orphan than finding a good family to take them in. That's why I came here. I wanted to help these children find new homes. But I've seen so many people come and go without even considering the children due to one thing or another. The children don't understand why but I thought that maybe if we taught them more, made them more appealing, then maybe more of them would get adopted."

Angelina merely smiled as she rifled through the folder and picked up a picture. "I understand and it is not necessarily a bad idea. You can certainly try and teach those that are interested but you can't force a horse to drink. I don't believe you could ever imprint those manners onto Nora for instance. I would certainly recommend you try and push them in the right direction but don't obsess over it. There are more important things for them to focus on after all."

Samantha winced slightly but nodded her head nonetheless. "Of course, Mistress. Speaking of Nora though…"

This time Angelina sighed while rubbing her head. "They've finally returned I take it?"

"Covered head to toe in mud. They were playing in the forest again. I sent them to clean up and wait for you in their room." The caretaker confirmed.

She clicked her teeth in annoyance before letting it go. "Very well. I'll go speak with them. If you could bring them some warm soup and water I would appreciate it. I'm sure they're starved from being outside all day."

When Samantha did not leave her chair, Angelina raised her eyebrow and waited for the woman to speak her mind. "Mistress… I know that we've discussed this before but I beg you, we need to do something about Jaune. The boy is a danger to everyone in the orphanage."

Angelina forced herself to take a deep breath and close her eyes to calm herself. "We have discussed this at length Samantha, he is merely a child."

The dog faunus either didn't agree or didn't care as she raised her voice slightly. "It doesn't matter if he's a child! What about what happened to Anne?"

"That was an unfortunate accident."

"What he did was no accident! He cut her!"

"And what would you have me do? Throw him into the wilderness again? He is a child that needs to heal, more so than many here."

"I'm not saying to throw him out, I'm saying to at least take that sword away from him! He's a child. He shouldn't even have a sword! He's getting stronger every day. What happens when he's strong enough to swing it properly? It's not going to be just a bandage the next time, it's going to be someone's life!"

"And who could take that sword away from him? Clearly not Anne and my body is far too old to be successful in such an endeavor. I would dare not ask one of the children to do so lest they get hurt as well. He is strong for someone his age and he has his aura unlocked."

The older woman sighed while continuing. "Anne was hurt because she tried to take the blade away from Jaune. If it was not apparent with how protective he is over it, that blade is all he has left of his family. He would fight anyone tooth and nail to keep that weapon in his possession. I would rather not have anyone else hurt trying to remove it."

An angry retort was on the tip of the faunus' tongue but she bit it back with an angry scowl, instead going for a different angle. "So, what happens when he uses it on someone that didn't try and take it away?"

"I don't know what you mean by that."

"He hates faunus! You've seen the way he reacts to me. He doesn't glare at any of the other caretakers the same way. It's not even me that I'm worried about, it's the faunus children here that I'm worried about. It's only a matter of time until he attacks someone with it. He can't be allowed to have that sword."

She couldn't help but rub her temples in frustration. She knew Samantha wasn't trying to be spiteful but she could see it leaking through. Jaune's treatment of other faunus, staff and children alike was well known. "He is still only a child. Hatred is taught. Hatred can also be unlearned if he is taught differently. I could not think of anything better than for you to focus your energies on teaching him this important lesson. You cannot blame the child for the circumstances of his upbringing. But you can show him the correct way. Show him love and eventually he will learn that his hatred is a wasteful effort."

Samantha's eyes looked away and her head bowed ever so slightly in the Headmistress's direction before she took to her feet. "I will try Mistress but I do not believe he will give me the opportunity. Hopefully no one gets hurt in the meantime."

Angelina said nothing as the dog faunus left the room and merely sighed to herself. Like all the children under her care, Jaune had his fair share of problems. Sadly, his manifested in a more violent fashion more times than not. Not an uncommon problem but a problem nonetheless.

She had seen children deal with traumatic experiences a hundred times over. Some grew angry like Jaune, others became detached from their surroundings, some would even resort to abusing what little substances they could get their hands on. On rare occasions, she had even seen the older ones become suicidal.

Old bones creaked and her body rose from her chair. The halls were filled with children and caretakers alike and she took care to greet each person she passed while moving through the narrow passageways. The kitchens were nearly empty and she quickly gathered the remainders of today's soup before leaving the room and working her way through the maze-like building.

Jaune's case was special in the way that he only formed his anger against a select few at the orphanage and was otherwise amicable to everyone else. Whatever caused his apparent distrust, it was their responsibility to try and undo the damage.

A task easier said than done.

The room she entered was small, much like the many rooms that dotted their crumbling home. It was even smaller with the four occupants inside. Jaune, Nora and Ren sat towards one end while Samantha was just now setting down her own servings of today's meal.

The scene was familiar to her and brought a smile to her face. The three always ate together. To be honest they did everything together, sometimes much to the frustrations of the other caretakers. It never bothered her in the slightest however, if anything the way they bonded together warmed her heart.

"Don't eat that!"

The loud sound of shattering glass filled the air and only through years of experience was Angelina able to stop the groan that wanted to leave her throat.

Jaune had left his place on the ground and stood protectively over Nora, his arm still outstretched from where he had swatted the now shattered soup bowl scattered across the floor. The boy was glaring angrily at Samantha who looked ready to explode at him. Ren had left his spot as well, standing next to both Jaune and Nora while trying to reel the unruly blond in.

"Why you little… There was nothing wrong with that food! And you've just broken _another_ bowl! I should tan your hide for that!"

"Remember, love is patient Samantha."

Her words cut through the air and stopped the faunus dead in her tracks. Wide eyes turned to her before the woman gathered herself and began picking up the broken bits of glass. "Of course, Mistress. I lost myself for a moment. Please forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive. Perhaps it would be best if you retired for the night. It has been a long day after all. I'll finish up here."

The woman stood and made to protest, her eyes glaring at the three children before moving back to her. "There's no need for that Mistress, I'll be happy to see these three to-"

"Goodnight Samantha, rest well."

Again, the faunus bit her tongue. After a few moments Samantha gathered her tray and gave a small bow, her eyes glued to the floor as she moved. "Of course. Goodnight Mistress."

She didn't spare the dog faunus a glance and instead focused on the three children in the room. She forced a smile on her face as she knelt in front of them, carefully placing the tray of water and food in front of them. "Now why did you do that Jaune? Was there something wrong with the food Samantha brought you?"

The blond boy refused to meet her eyes, instead focusing on the broken bowl. Despite the question he offered no answer, his lips pressed tightly together.

"She only means the best for you, for all of you, you know that, don't you? Samantha has a big heart, even if at times she has a hard time showing it. If you gave her a chance you might be surprised at what you find."

A low grumble came from the boy in front of her but she let it go. Forcing the issue too much would only cause more harm than good. These things took time and in Jaune's case, a lot of time. "Well, since you broke the last bowl I can assume that none of you are hungry? I'll just take these bowls back to the kitchens with me."

"No!"

The chorus of shouts didn't surprise her but she feigned shock while three pairs of hands latched onto her. "Oh? Then perhaps breaking the bowl was just a mistake? Do be more careful next time."

Jaune took one of the bowls gingerly, his eyes refusing to meet the aged ones watching him carefully. She heard the mumbled apology and sighed. Seeing Jaune take his own food, Ren and Nora followed suit and quickly began eating.

Watching them as they were now, one would never guess that each one of these children had gone through their own fair share of hardships. Few here had bonded the way that these three managed to and it made her smile. Healing took many forms and was different for each person.

Some just needed time to accept what had happened. Others required a great deal of guidance. There were those that found something to focus on that took their attention away from what happened. Then you had those that dedicated themselves to new people. They grasped onto them and would do anything to protect them, sometimes even at great personal risk.

Looking at Jaune, it was clear what path he had chosen. The boy knew breaking that previous bowl would have consequences. It wasn't the first time he had done so and been disciplined for it. Despite that he felt the overwhelming need to prevent his friends from eating from anything Samantha had given them.

Did he believe that she was trying to poison them? That seemed too sophisticated for the boy though, perhaps it was a more generalized distrust and the assumption that anything given by a faunus would be dangerous. Either way it set a terrible precedent that did not bode well for the future.

While she was loathed to agree with Samantha over this, she couldn't deny that he may one day turn his sword on a faunus he perceived as a threat, whether that was true didn't seem to matter. Ideally, the blade would be taken from him and given back once he left. Sadly, that didn't seem to be an option. He wouldn't willingly give up the sword and he was strong enough to swing it. Disarming him would leave at least one other person hurt, potentially worse.

No, she couldn't forcibly take it from him, the risk was too great. None of them had aura and he had already proven he could swing the blade in a proficient manner. But if Samantha was right and a bowl eventually turned into an arm, could they afford to wait any longer?

What was she to do with him?

 **/-/**

The spring air of Anima was so much different than that of Vale or Patch. It was crisper, cooler, and much fresher. A deep breath filled her lungs and she couldn't help but smile to herself.

She adored Vale, she loved her home on the island of Patch but nothing could beat the fresh air of where she grew up. Her hand rubbed the trunk of the tree she was resting on fondly. It wasn't very often that she was able to return to her home continent or even the village she grew up in.

What with her responsibilities as a huntress combined with her family duties she hardly got to leave Patch. It just so happened that this time her job let her come home, it was a win-win situation!

"Come on Summer! Get down from there, we're already running late as it is."

Said woman looked down at her scraggly companion and giggled. His ruby red eyes were narrowed in annoyance and his arms were crossed over his chest. His scowl would've made anyone back away but to her it was endearing.

With a practiced grace, Summer scaled down the tree with ease and landed before her partner, her smile never fading even as the man continued to glare at her. "Sorry Qrow, you know how I get when I come back to Anima, I just get lost in my thoughts."

Qrow tried to keep his glare on the smiling woman but faltered and just shook his head in annoyance, an adorable pout replacing the scowl he once held. "Yeah, I do, and so does Tai. That's why he doesn't come on missions with you to Anima anymore, remember?"

She sent Qrow a glower at the reminder and looked away with a huff. "Well it's his loss anyway. He just loses some valuable quality time with his wife. It's fine though, someone has to stay home with Ruby and Yang."

She didn't miss the subtle flinch at her words but she pretended she did. Instead she began jogging away from Qrow and quickly disappeared. "Come on!"

"H-hey! What are you doing? Summer!?"

He moved after her and burst through the dense foliage of the forest but only found an open clearing, no sign of the petit huntress that had just come through. "Summer?"

Upon her name being called, said woman exploded from the leaves of a nearby tree directly in front of Qrow. She hung there upside down with her legs curled around one of the low hanging branches. He wasn't prepared for her to appear in front of him, nor was he ready for her face to be mere inches from his. He certainly wasn't prepared for the light tap on his nose nor her soft voice filling his ears. "Boop."

With a startled yelp, he tumbled backwards and fell on his ass. He rubbed his backside while glaring at his now giggling teammate. "Haha, real funny. You're a real hoot, you know that? Have I ever told you I hate your semblance sometimes?"

His tone didn't seem to match his words which only caused her to laugh harder before she reached out to pull her teammate to his feet. His scowl was back full force but did nothing to dissuade her laughter. "Well someone has to be the funny one on the team. And as much as I love Tai, his puns are awful."

Qrow merely rolled his eyes at the comment and pushed on towards their destination, the smallest of smirks on his face. Silence enveloped the two of them as they traveled but it wasn't uncomfortable in the slightest. They had been partners for near a decade now and they were more than fine with traveling in silence.

Silver eyes stole a quick glance at the much taller huntsman next to her and her lips down turned slightly. "Hey Qrow, can I ask you something?"

He looked surprised but beat it down quickly with a cocky smile taking its place. "Sure, you don't have to ask ahead of time though, if somethings bothering you just spit it out."

Her eyes narrowed for half a second before a coy look washed over her face. "Ok then, I'll just ask it. Why aren't you wearing the birthday present I got you a couple weeks ago?"

That wiped the smile off his face with almost comical speed. Instead he was left with a sputter and the smallest bits of pink dusting his cheeks. "I, uh, well you see. I… I love the gift, I just haven't found the right time to wear it, that's all."

She moved just ahead of him and turned to face him, finger poking him in the chest and forcing the man to stop and look at her. Suspicious eyes looked him up and down and focused on the very empty neckline he was sporting. "Why not right now? I did get it with your main outfit in mind. I even packed it for you so you wouldn't forget! It's a good luck charm!"

Summer took off her pack and opened it, digging through the various contents until she found what she was looking for. She smiled and held the item for Qrow to take. His broken smile didn't fool anyone but he took it without complaint.

It was a pure silver necklace with a crooked cross pendant. He stared at the item for a moment before turning to the excited looking woman in front of him. Her eyes bore into him, digging deep into his soul until he finally relented. With a sigh, he unhooked the necklace and put it on. The metal felt cool against his skin but not unpleasant. "Well? How does it look?"

Her smile beamed and she nodded happily at her partner. "It looks great! Just like I thought it would. Who knows, maybe it'll help you meet a lady~"

Summer skipped ahead, the last word rolling off her tongue in a sing-song voice. She missed the frown that marred Qrow's face and the way his good mood vanished. She also missed the way his eyes trailed her before he shook his head and moved to catch up. "Yeah, maybe…"

The pair moved through the forest unhindered, the Grimm that normally inhabited the area being suspiciously absent. Grimm lived all throughout Anima and tended to be a common occurrence, even close to the many villages that dotted the wilderness of the Eastern most continent. Only Mistral tended to be devoid of Grimm around its border and that was due to the culling efforts of the resident huntsmen and huntresses that lived there.

"Seems a little quiet, doesn't it?"

Summer only nodded while her silver eyes scanned the area. There had been Grimm here and recently too if her eyes did not deceive her. The forest they moved through was damaged, broken branches, ripped up earth, destroyed bushes. All signs of large beasts moving through without any care for stealth or self-health. Beowolves and Ursa if the size of the claw marks were anything to go by. There were quite a few of them too…

"Qrow, let's hurry."

She didn't wait for his answer and she disappeared. Her legs quickly found purchase a distance ahead and took another few steps before she disappeared again. A quick glance over her shoulder let her know that Qrow was right behind her, taking an aerial view as the two raced towards their destination.

Summer emerged from the forest and her eyes landed on the familiar walls of Shion village. Her fears were confirmed and eased at the same time. The walls were damaged, torn in some places and destroyed in others. Grimm were abound, though only corpses remained and soon those too would evaporate into nothingness.

The city guard and what she could clearly see were a few huntsmen were walking among the fallen, ensuring the Grimm were truly dead or taking the body of someone who had fallen and bringing them back into the city.

"Heh, nothing to worry about. Looks like they took care of it all on their own."

Summer ignored him as she slowly made her way through the carnage. Her silver eyes roved over the battlefield, watching as two older men lifted a corpse of a young man. He couldn't have been any older than 17, a large gash along his stomach had finished him.

A silent tear dripped down her face as more bodies were pulled from the battle. If they had come sooner how many people could she have saved? If she hadn't taken her time getting lost in memories how many of these boys would have gone home to their families alive and laughing instead of in a box?

She felt the firm hand on her shoulder but didn't react to it, even as a gruff voice entered her ears. "You can't blame yourself for this Summer. We couldn't have known. This is the reality of the frontier towns and you know it. They can get wiped out in a moment's notice. Only the ones that learn to fight have a chance at surviving, even then they'll take casualties."

"Knowing doesn't make it any easier to see children who shouldn't be fighting in the first place get pulled from the ashes. If that one lived in the Kingdoms he would be starting at an academy in a few months' time. Instead he's dead. It's not right."

The grizzled man wrapped an arm around his shorter teammate and pulled her into a side hug. He felt no resistance as Summer let herself be pulled in, her body molding to Qrow's side. "I know it's not. Remnant's not really a fair place though. It never has been."

His words did little to soothe her and he sighed, dragging her along and into the city proper. "Come on, we're only in the way here. Wasn't there something you wanted to do here in Shion? It's the only reason we're stopping here to begin with, right?"

Summer nodded along and disentangled herself from Qrow. Her face went neutral but it still held twinges of grief. "That's right. Come on, it's deeper in the city."

" _I wonder if Angelina still remembers me?"_

 **/-/**

The orphanage was as dingy as one might expect. Qrow wasn't surprised in the slightest at the state the building was in. The walls were caked with dirt while most of the rooms were without doors. It wasn't a design choice so much as it was disrepair. He glanced at the broken hinges and shook his head.

The place was rundown, and that was putting it lightly. Still, he had stayed at worse off places before and this place was important to Summer which put it leagues above any of those rat's nests he'd stayed at in Vacuo. One thing he could've done without was how the children stopped and stared at them as they passed, some even followed them in what he could only assume was a stealthy fashion.

"Oh hello! I don't believe I've seen you around before. Have you come to look at some of the children?"

Qrow followed the sound of the voice and found a dog faunus wearing a light blue dress with dirty blonde hair and green eyes. The smile she wore was forced and didn't quite reach her eyes but he didn't comment on it. The day was almost over and if the village gates was any indication, it was probably a stressful one for everyone in Shion.

She seemed to be waiting on an answer and her words replayed in his mind. Wait, did she think that they were looking to adopt together? "Hold on, I think you mis-"

Summer cut him off before he could fix any misconceptions, her smile bright and eyes shining as she talked to the caretaker. "Actually, we came to speak with Miss Angelina and bring some financial aid for the orphanage. Is she around?"

Samantha blinked a few times before tilting her head to the side and looking them both over again. "Oh? You're benefactors?" her voice held an air of disbelief but she quickly schooled her features. "Of course, if you follow me I'll take you to the Headmistress. She'll be happy to see you."

They followed the dog faunus through the maze-like halls. The children continued to follow them but at a further distance. Samantha tried to shoo them away but even her fiercest glare couldn't dissuade the curiosity of the children in the building.

She turned her head and gave the two huntsmen an apologetic look while continuing to head deeper into the orphanage, her memory being more than enough to guide her. "I do apologize about all the attention. I know that most of our benefactors don't like being swarmed by the children when they come here. Usually they're better about this but if you don't mind me saying, you don't look like most of our donors. Truth be told you look more like a young couple coming to adopt a child."

"Which is why they're following our every step." Qrow finished the unsaid part of her sentence, his gruff voice staying low so the kids wouldn't hear. He'd seen it before; displaced children were a dime a dozen in Remnant. The Grimm were ruthless in their destruction and those that survived usually didn't have a place to go. Outside the four major cities you couldn't look down an alley without seeing an orphaned child or a homeless person that had lost everything.

It was always harder on the kids than the adults. Concepts like the Grimm, the perpetual threat of death, the true unfairness that was the world they lived in. It wasn't something any child should have had to face. When it did happen, they looked to adults to explain it away. Then they tried to return to some form of normalcy. For an orphan, that usually entailed joining a new family, to try and replace what they lost.

Sadly, there weren't enough empty homes that wanted a child to the number of children that needed them. Another one of life's many cruelties. Still, it didn't stop those children from hoping. For most of them, hope was all they had left.

The caretaker nodded along, her mouth set in a deep frown as they moved. "Indeed. They always get like this when new faces show up. Especially when it's such a cute couple."

His scowl shifted to annoyed but it was Summer who reacted outwardly. Her face took on the same color of her tips of her hair while she laughed nervously and drew her white hood over her head. "Oh, we're not a couple. We're partners and teammates, not a couple. I would have a lot of explaining to do to my husband if that were the case."

The nervous laugh that followed was brittle and weak. He caught the look she sent him but he averted his eyes, looking anywhere but at his partner. To her credit, Samantha caught on fast enough and quickened her pace. "O-oh of course, my mistake. The Headmistress should be in here. One moment."

The young woman knocked and entered the room a moment later. Qrow merely raised an eyebrow and shared a look with Summer, who had taken to putting her hood back down. She merely shrugged and the two waited until the door opened and the blonde woman ushered them inside.

The office was cramped and a complete mess. Looking around, it was surprising that they could keep anything in order. And here he thought Ozpin had a hard time keeping things organized. If Glynda saw this she might have a heart attack.

Summer ignored the mess completely and practically ran up to the older woman who was just now standing. She embraced her and Qrow couldn't help but smile at the scene. He had heard about Angelina in the past, it was hard not to when she was the woman that practically raised your partner.

"It's so good to see you Angelina! You look just like I remember. How have you been? How's the orphanage doing?"

The older woman returned the hug with much less energy but smiled nonetheless. "Oh, my Summer, it seems you still radiate the same amount of energy that you did years ago. It's good to see some things never change. How have you been my dear?"

Summer released the caretaker but still beamed at the woman. "I've been great! I know that it's been a long time since I've last come to visit but I've been really busy. Being a full-time huntress and mother of two doesn't leave much time to cross continents for vacations."

"Oh, I know a thing or two about children taking up most of your free time. How are Yang and Ruby? Last I saw they were just little things."

Summer grinned while digging through her backpack and pull out several pictures of the girls. "They're amazing and growing bigger every day. Yang is a bit of a troublemaker but it's nothing I can't handle. How's the orphanage holding up?"

Angelina gave a strained smile and waved her hand dismissively. "We're still here aren't we? Given today's events we should all be grateful for such mercies."

Summer's smile suffered and a melancholier expression took hold. "We saw. I'm so sorry, if only we had arrived earlier we could have helped. Maybe no one would have died today."

Angelina placed a hand on Summer's shoulder. There was no strength behind it but it was one of comfort and forced Summer to look into the older woman's eyes. "Do not blame yourself for things you have no control over. You had no knowledge that we would be attacked today and you have no obligation to be our protector. You failed no one today. In fact, you have made my day brighter by getting to see you again."

Qrow wanted to laugh but refrained from doing so as he looked at the pout Summer tried to give the older woman only for it to fall flat. It was like watching Summer deal with Ruby when the girl was upset but the roles were reversed. "Oi Summer, aren't you forgetting to give her something?"

Realization dawned in her silver eyes and the girl dug back into her bag. She quickly found what she was looking for and presented it to Angelina. "Here! For the orphanage. I know it's not a lot but I hope it helps."

Angelina took the envelope and recognized the feeling of Lien inside before she sighed and tried to give it back. "Summer, you don't need to donate your hard-earned Lien. I'm sure you could find a use for this money back home, maybe spend it on your own girls. I can't accept this."

Summer merely smiled and closed the older woman's hands around the slightly bulging envelope. "Nonsense. You practically raised me and I know we were always on the edge for Lien back then. Judging how the building looks, I would say that's still the case today. Think of it as paying it forward, that shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Angelina let out an exasperated sigh and took the envelope. It wasn't without complaint however as she shook her head. "You only ever seemed to listen to me when it could cause me some kind of grief, it appears that trait of yours is still as persistent as ever."

Summer's smile only widened at the woman's words. "Yep! Though I just wish there was more that I could do to help."

Her voice trailed off but Angelina didn't seem to want to take any of it. Her voice hardened probably a bit more than she wanted as she spoke. "None of that Summer. You have already done far more than you needed to. I won't have you act like you need to solve all our problems. We are more than capable of handling ourselves, as we have for years now."

"Actually, there is something else they could help with, if they wanted to."

Qrow moved his ruby red eyes toward the dog faunus who had remained silent through the entire conversation. He had honestly forgotten she was still there. Her body language screamed uncertainty with the way she kept grasping and letting go of the hem of her dress.

Her eyes told a different story though. They were firm and unwavering. It was enough to peak his interest and with the way Summer looked at her happily he knew she would all but jump at the chance to help, that was just who she was. Angelina on the other hand didn't seem nearly as enthused with the woman speaking up. With the way her face went rigid it was clear she didn't want them to know. Interesting.

"Samantha, I know what you're going to ask them and I'll ask you to not mention it. It is not their problem to solve. Leave it be."

"But they're huntsmen! If anyone was going to take care of him it would be them. There's no risk whatsoever if they take care of it!"

Angelina moved to protest but was stopped by Summer, her hand grasping the older woman's arm gently. "Let me help. If there's anything I can do to help I want to. Please."

The gray-haired woman's face was unreadable for a few moments before it seemed to lose its tension, almost as if the strings holding her together were cut. Maybe it was because he hadn't been paying too much attention before but looking at her now, he could see just how tired this woman was. Her face was exhaustion personified.

"Very well. We have a child in our midst that is… how should I say… troubled. Yes, that's the word. While I do not know the specifics, I do know he went through a traumatic experience before he came to be with us. While not uncommon, the way he's dealing with said trauma is a concern for the staff and some of the children around him."

Qrow narrowed his eyes at the woman's explanation. The way she phrased it sounded like he was somehow more than just a school yard bully. But this was an orphanage, why would they need a trained huntsman to deal with the kid? "Just how old is this kid anyway?"

"Jaune is ten years old and truly he isn't a bad child. Some scars run deep and take time to heal. It's just that he may pose a danger to certain people here while he is healing. If you could merely disarm him it would be greatly appreciated."

Summer's brow furrowed and shared a glance with her partner who just shrugged in response. "He has a weapon?"

Angelina sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time and took a seat at her desk, her energy sapped. "Yes, he has a sword that he came here with. He also has his Aura unlocked which is why it is dangerous for us to try and remove the weapon. One of our caretakers tried to take it away from him and he ended up cutting her. The wound wasn't deep and I don't believe he meant to hurt her but everyone has been too afraid to try since. I believe that weapon belonged to his family, which is why he's so defensive of it."

Qrow frowned and rubbed his stubble at the new information. A huntsman's kid huh? He could see how that could be a problem for civilians to deal with. Even if they were twice his size, if the kid knew how to swing a sword a couple people with no training could end up on the wrong end of that blade. It was easier to walk on eggshells around him and just ignore the problem. Well, at least until it reached a boiling point. "So, you have a violent brat that's too big for his britches and throwing his weight around huh?"

The elder caretaker shook her head in the negative, her eyes glancing between the two huntsmen. "No, Jaune is a sweet boy. To many of the people here he's quite nice. It's just there are some things that can set him off that concerns us. One would be trying to take his sword away. The second is whenever he encounters a faunus. He is… less than trusting of them to say the least."

And there it was. A racist kid with a weapon and a penchant of distrust. For the time being, it was only a concern, give it a few years and then there might be some actual trouble. Racism was a stupid thing in Qrow's opinion and it made people do stupid things. All people sucked equally, it didn't matter if they were human or faunus. Given the right set of circumstances and either would stab you in the back if it served their purpose.

All being racist did was make a normally rational person act irrationally and more times than not lash out against those they hated. It didn't always have to be physical but often it was. Given what he had heard about this kid, he could tell where this was going to go once he put a few more years under his belt. It was probably for the best to nip this is the bud before he reached that point. "Yeah, I could see the racist little bugger being an issue, guess we could deal with him before we head out."

Summer's face morphed into a scowl and slapped him across the arm hard enough to make him wince. "No child is racist Qrow! He's probably scared and nervous. Maybe he's never seen a faunus before and doesn't know how to act?" She turned to face Angelina again. "We'll be happy to have a talk with the boy. Would you take us to him?"

Angelina nodded and made to get up before she was gently pushed back down by her assistant. "There's no need Mistress. I'll take them to him. You've had a long day, please rest now."

It seemed she was going to argue until her body seemed to give out and she slumped back into her chair. "Perhaps you're right. I'll leave them in your hands. I believe I'll retire for the evening. It was a pleasure to see you again Summer. Hopefully next time will be under better circumstances."

Summer gave the woman a brief hug before they turned to follow Samantha out of the room. The walk was quiet as the three made their way through the winding halls. The energy that was in the orphanage earlier seemed dimmed. Many of the children didn't follow them the same way they did before and even less looked happy in general.

He shared a glance with Summer who looked far more bothered by the sudden shift in energy than he did. Her eyes begged him to ask the unasked question and he could only shake his head in exasperation. For as long as he'd known her Summer had been socially awkward. For the most part, she had grown out of it but at certain times it would pop its head out. Now was one of those times.

"Oi, what's with this place suddenly? It's like someone died or something."

Samantha didn't turn to answer them, she merely kept pushing forward as her voice reached them. "To be frank with you, their hopes of being adopted, at least for today. They realized that you both are not here to adopt and our visiting hours for potential parents are over for the day. I believe there's only one potential adopter left but she has had her eyes on a certain little girl for a while now. Most of what you saw earlier was just for show. They aren't nearly as happy as they pretend to be."

It made sense to a certain extent. Life couldn't have been very fun for anyone living like this. Cramped quarters, crummy food, no actual family to depend on. But at the same time, they wanted to be adopted, to try and get out of this place. Put on a little show in the hopes that it would get them out of this place. It was cruel in a way but that was also Remnant, cruel to everyone and anyone.

"Ah, here we are. Jaune, there are some people here who would like to meet you. Come and say hello."

The smile Samantha wore was brittle and looked so forced that he doubted even the kid was fooled. Given the way he glared at the faunus he doubted it did. Or maybe that was just the racism shining through? It was hard to tell and at the end of the day and it hardly mattered.

The kid looked like the picture-perfect example of what an orphan would look like. His blond hair was dirty beyond belief and his face matched with smudges of dirt that almost seemed to be as natural as his blue eyes. His clothes weren't much better, covered his grime and patched more than a few times. Given that they were also a size or two too small it was clear that the orphanage didn't even have enough money to clothe them properly.

"I'll take my leave, good luck."

Jaune didn't respond to her words, merely glaring at the woman until she had left the room. It wasn't until she was out of sight that the boy decided to look at the two of them. His eyes were sharper than what he expected, almost like he expected them to attack him. The boy's hand gently brushed something on his hip and the familiar sound of steel on steel filled his ears.

Ah, he had almost forgotten. So that was the kid's weapon the caretakers were so afraid of. It looked to be a normal arming sword and sheathe but he wouldn't be surprised if it was something more. The quality was clearly that of a huntsman's weapon, even sheathed he could tell that much. If there was one thing he learned over the years it was that a huntsman's weapon could be _very_ deceiving, his own being a prime example of that.

"Well hi there! My name is Summer. What's your name?"

Qrow couldn't help but chuckle at the boy's sudden panicked expression. Even without her semblance, Summer was faster than most huntsmen and when she was excited she tended to forget that fact. She had appeared in front of the boy in the blink of an eye, kneeling in front of him so that she was eye level with the boy, much like she would do with either Ruby or Yang.

"M-my name is Jaune. Nice to meet you."

Summer smiled happily and took the timid hand that was extended to her and shook it with vigor. "It's nice to meet you too Jaune. And this is my partner Qrow, Qrow, say hello."

"Sup, kid."

He would pay for that later if the glower she sent him was any indication but he laughed it off. She always got wound up over the small stuff and he couldn't help but mess with her from time to time. "So, kid, I hear from a certain doggy that you have quite the weapon. You a huntsman or something?"

It was meant to broach the elephant in the room and he hoped his semi-jovial tone would belay that. Sadly, it had the opposite effect and put the kid on edge. He took a couple steps back from them, both of his hands falling to cover the blade from them. Well they certainly got the defensive part right, if not outright paranoid.

"It's ok, we're not trying to upset you or anything. You see weapons are interesting to us, we're huntsmen. I even have a bit of an addiction to them you could say. I love seeing new weapons, will you show me yours?"

Jaune didn't look convinced and his eyes shot back and forth between them. Qrow merely sighed and reached behind him, his hand wrapping around the hilt of his sword. In one fluid motion, he drew the blade and planted the tip into the ground with a bit more force than necessary. "See? This is mine and it can do a whole lot more than just be a sword. If you show us yours I'll show you what else it can do."

The way his eyes lit up all but confirmed that Jaune was a huntsman's son. There were marked differences between huntsman kids and their civilian counterparts. All kids loved to play fight and the like but when confronted with an actual weapon, especially in the manner that he flourished it, they tended to back away scared. A huntsman's kid on the other hand wouldn't be afraid of just a weapon. They were used to having all kinds of weapons around, it was just another aspect of life.

Jaune was clearly used to seeing weapons as there was no fear in his eyes at seeing his massive blade, only a giddy joy that was akin to Summer's when she saw a new weapon. The kid could barely contain himself and fumbled with the handle on his own sword for a couple seconds before he was able to draw the blade from its sheathe.

The weapon looked awkward in his hands, the blade being far too long for the boy's body and much too heavy for his small arms. But he still held it in a two-handed stance that his parents no doubt taught him. Give him a few years and a foot or two in growth and the sword would be right at home in the boy's hands, of that he had no doubt.

The blade itself didn't look anything special besides the guard and the sheathe having a unique color and pattern. While it didn't have anything that looked too complicated, the blade was well kept and looked incredibly sharp. Definitely something that could cut through the hide of a Beowolf if need be.

"That's a nice sword that you have there, kid. Where did you get it?"

"I… my father gave it to me, for my tenth birthday."

A small frown found its home on Qrow's face as he looked at the nervous child. The boy was lying. He knew it and Summer knew it too. He wouldn't call him on it though. The world was a vicious place and the truth was probably far more agonizing. If Jaune wanted to lie about it to try and make it a little less so than who was he to shatter that illusion? He wasn't a monster.

"Well that's quite the present! This sword looks really strong. I almost feel like I've seen it somewhere before though. Hmmm, I can't place it but I definitely feel like I've seen this sword before. I never forget a weapon that interests me."

Jaune shook his head in the negative excitedly, more than happy with the change in subject. "No way! This sword is special, there's nothing else like it in the world! It's uh… umm… hold on!"

Without even thinking about it, Jaune handed Summer the sword who could only blink owlishly at the weapon now in her hand. With a gusto that he had only seen Ruby possess when looking for cookies, Jaune all but dove under his bed and popped back out with a large dusty looking book in his grasp. He opened it carefully and flipped through a few pages until he stopped with an animated gasp.

"It's a du-duran-durandal… yeah, it's a durandal sword!"

The word meant nothing to Qrow but with the way Summer's eyes lit up it clearly did to her. She snapped her fingers and looked at the blade with a far more critical eye. "That's right, this is a Durandal blade. They're said to be indestructible and cut through just about anything if properly cared for. There's only a couple left in the world since the technique for making them was lost centuries ago. I've only ever seen one in person." She paused, her eyes taking on a fond softness. "Oh my, that was some time ago, way back during our first Vytal Festival. Can you believe how long ago that was Qrow? It was when I was in the finals and I fought…"

Summer's eyes widened and her words died on her lips as she stared at Jaune. It was like she was seeing him for the first time. Silver eyes roved over the small boy before they drifted back to the unbreakable steel in her hands. Her gaze shifted to Qrow, her face agitated as her hands wrought around the handle of the sword. "J-Jaune, does your sheathe by chance do anything as well?"

An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach at her question, or more specifically, at how she phrased it. Summer didn't become unsettled like this without good reason and as he watched Jaune nod happily and pull out the sheathe he knew what was wrong. The sheathe snapped open, revealing a heater shield for the world to see. It wasn't the shield though that made him curse, it was the twin golden crescent moons that resided on the shield.

This wasn't just some random kid in the middle of nowhere belonging to some no name huntsman. This was the kid of Arthur Arc, the former head of the recently wiped out Arc family that most of Remnant was still talking about in some capacity.

They had assumed just like the rest of the world that the entire Arc family died during the attack on Aerilon. The White Fang had been ruthless in their surprise attack and had been quick to illustrate their overwhelming victory against the frontier stronghold.

What made the attack something of note, other than showing the White Fang had crossed the line of civil disobedience and into the world of violent extremism, was that their target wasn't just some soft village that was comprised of a civilian militia and maybe a self-trained huntsman or two. No, Aerilon had been standing for generations because of a renowned huntsman family had been protecting it ever since the end of the Great War.

The Arcs weren't world famous like some other huntsman families, the Schnees' came to mind as a prime example. But they were known within the huntsman community the world over as a strong family that produced strong huntsman. He knew Arthur, not too much more than anyone else but he had seen him fight a few times on some joint missions here and there. Summer had even fought and beaten him during the Vytal festival.

Arthur was by no means the strongest huntsman he had ever met but he wasn't a pushover either. The fact that the White Fang could kill an above average huntsman and the rest of the village defenders meant that they had strong people within their organization, strong enough people to warrant concern.

It was a common misconception among civilians that huntsmen were just like normal soldiers that specialized in killing Grimm. A decent huntsman was worth a platoon of soldiers and then some. An exceptional one was worth the battalion and all the dust it would take to arm them.

Arc would've been somewhere between the two which meant that he more than likely wasn't overwhelmed with numbers. Instead he was probably killed by a small group of skilled fighters or one frighteningly powerful one. Either option was bad for anyone opposed to them given the nature of the group.

It was why this was such a big deal when it happened and continues to be one. If the group could train such capable fighters than they may become a problem for the four kingdoms down the road.

It was also a blow to the huntsman community. Very few families could make a name for themselves as a continued line of huntsman given the nature of their work. Those that did were looked up to in a way since they proved it could be done. It gave them the security and hope that they could enjoy a family life as well. When word came through that the entire Arc family had been erased, well, it was a blow for everyone to some extent.

But this was as damning of evidence to the contrary if there ever was one that the Arcs were gone. Now that he looked at him a little closer he could see the similarities between the boy and his father.

Summer saw the similarities as well and it looked like she was fighting with herself over something. Water formed on the edges of her eyes while her mouth opened, her voice coming out as a quiver of itself. "Jaune, can you give Qrow and I a moment? We'll be right back, I promise."

Jaune was confused but took Crocea Mors from her nonetheless before she stood up and grabbed Qrow. He was all but dragged out of the room and around the corner before she turned to face him. "Qrow…"

"Summer no, don't even think about it, you can't."

"We can't leave him here! He can't stay here, he needs to find a home that can actually help him."

Qrow could only rub his eyes as he tried to fend off the impending headache that was no doubt on its way. "There are plenty of people in Anima that can take him in. I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Qrow you know that's not going to happen! I know that's never going to happen…" her voice trailed off and her eyes looked back in Jaune's general direction. "Qrow, I grew up here. I know what it's like to grow up an orphan. Do you know how hard it is to find a family that wants you if you have any kind of problems? Even if someone by some miracle adopts him, the moment he shows any of the problems we know he has they'll bring him back here or just throw him to the curb."

Qrow's silence was all it took for Summer to keep pushing onwards. "Orphans are seen as defective goods to most people. Even to those that want to adopt, they don't want a problem child that would cause them more problems. After what happened to him, there's bound to be issues we don't know about. I mean we can see that it's affected him already!"

Summer turned back to him, her eyes shimmering as a few stray tears escaped and cascaded down her face. Qrow could only grit his teeth and avert his eyes. He hated it when she cried.

"If we don't take him now we're condemning him for the rest of his life. I can't do that Qrow, I just can't."

The pain in her voice sapped him of any fire. He brought his eyes back to her and wished he hadn't. Tears were freely falling and her lip was quivering. It wasn't some pathetic attempt to sway him. Her pain was genuine. He knew it because she lived this. For her, Jaune was herself twenty years ago. How many times had she told him that the only thing she wanted growing up was someone to reach out to her? If she turned her back on Jaune now she would never forgive herself.

"And what about Tai?" It was a flimsy argument and his voice was anything but combative, he had given up before he even opened his mouth to speak.

The tears slowly came to a stop and she quickly wiped them away, a small smile coming to her face. "Don't you worry about that. I have special ways for making Tai see things my way."

Ugh, now that wasn't an image he needed to have in his brain. She probably didn't even mean it that way but the damage was done, he needed to find a bar as soon as possible. "And what do you plan to do about the mission? We can't exactly take him with us. It'll take another month at least, and that's if things go as planned."

Summer's face morphed into a frown, her hand coming to rest on her chin as she thought about his question. "You're right. We'll have to come back and get him once we're done. He should be fine for another month. Promise me Qrow, no matter what, once we're done with our mission we're coming back here to get him. Promise me."

"I promise. On our way back, we'll stop by and grab the brat, happy?"

Another thought struck him and his voiced stopped Summer dead in her tracks. "But, what if he doesn't want to come with us?"

Confused eyes asked the question her voice didn't and Qrow elaborated. "We met the kid like what, five minutes ago? Who's to say he even wants to come with us? He seems awfully jumpy if you ask me. Understandable though, all things considered…"

Summer made to protest but her mouth slowly closed, her face contorting in thought. It was clear the idea never occurred to her. She had told him before that the only thing she wanted growing up was a loving family but would Jaune be the same? They were both orphans sure, but the circumstances of that status were vastly different. What Jaune wanted and what she had wanted could be completely different things.

"I… never thought of that. Well, I suppose there's only one way to find out though."

Qrow watched her hood flutter behind her and raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? And what's that?"

Summer turned and giggled at him, as if he was asking a silly question. "By getting to know him silly, what else? Now are you coming?"

He grumbled a slew of things that would get him reprimand if she heard it but complied nonetheless. He moved lethargically and stayed a step or two behind her. Kids weren't really his thing but he couldn't just wonder off on his own. Hopefully he could just let Summer take the lead and he could sit back and watch.

"Oh, you came back." The kid was exactly where they left him and couldn't hide the surprise in his voice. Did he think that they had left? Maybe Summer wasn't so far off after all…

"Of course we did, we promised you, didn't we? It's important to keep your promises, don't you think?"

Shaggy blond hair swayed as Jaune nodded his head in agreement, a small smile forming on his lips. "My dad thought so too. He always told me that an Arc always keeps his word, no matter what."

Summer nodded happily which only made the boy's smile grow. "That's fantastic. Your father was a wise man. Could you tell me more about him?"

And tell he did. It seemed like that was the only trigger needed for the kid to open up about anything and everything about his family. Summer never interrupted, even when he rambled on semi-incoherent tangents. She only spoke when she had a question about this or that.

A yawn escaped him and he leaned against the dirty wall. The hike to Shion had been long and they hadn't stopped to rest all day. Red eyes fought to stay open only to eventually succumb to his own tiredness.

With a start, his eyes snapped open, an intelligible noise escaping his mouth and his body swayed for a moment before he caught himself. Luckily for himself, no one noticed. Summer was still listening patiently as Jaune continued to go on about whatever it was he was talking about now.

He yawned a little louder and stretched his arms over his head. He must've been more tired than he thought. He couldn't have fallen asleep for too long though if no one had noticed. Reaching into his pocket, he fished out his scroll and looked over the time. His eyes widened and he tried to comprehend what the stupid piece of tech was telling him.

 _Three hours!?_

How had he fallen asleep like that for three hours? Why hadn't Summer waken him up? Another look at said partner gave him the only answer he needed. She seemed to be just as engrossed with the blond as he was with her. It shouldn't have surprised him given how quickly and effortlessly she had taken to Yang.

It almost made him not want to interrupt. Sadly, they had a mission to complete and they had more than overstayed their welcome in Shion. They were only meant to drop the Lien off after all.

Walking up behind her, Qrow held out his scroll for her to see. "Hey, Summer, we gotta go."

She glanced at the scroll and sighed to herself, more than aware that he was right. The boy on the other hand looked at him with almost abject horror. Jaune's eyes soon became downcast as he shifted slightly away from the both.

Summer noticed and flashed Jaune a bright smile. "Jaune, can I ask you a question? What is it that you want to do when you grow up?"

Despite his demeanor, Jaune didn't hesitate, his answer coming out instantly. "I want to be a huntsman, just like my father!"

"Ah, I thought so. Now let me ask you another question. Would you like me to help you become a huntsman?"

Blue eyes widened, her words stirring something within him and he stared at her, his voice shaky. "Do you mean?"

Summer nodded happily even as a tear of her own started forming. "I do, how would you like to come home with me? My daughters Ruby and Yang are around your age, and they would love an older brother to protect them. What do you say?"

Qrow let out a small chuckle at the sight. Jaune's response wasn't so much in the form of words as it was a full-on body tackle. Summer absorbed the blow with practiced ease and returned the hug with just as much vigor, her voice soft and comforting as she rocked back and forth slowly.

 **/-/**

"Aren't you just the sweetest little girl I've ever seen? And so much energy, oh I could just eat you up. You get cuter every time I see you."

Jaune sniggered at his friend's dismay by the older woman's hands. Nora looked anything but amused as the slightly portly woman continued to pinch her cheeks. It was funny with how she fought against all her instincts to break through.

Normally Nora would've bitten the woman's fingers but she stopped herself and for a very good reason.

This woman was thinking of adopting her.

Everyone had thought Nora was 'unadoptable' given her seemingly endless energy. For the entire time she had been at the orphanage she had turned away more potential adopters just because they couldn't keep up with her. It had become a bit of a sour joke but Nora had never paid it any mind, as long as she had her friends she didn't care if she got adopted or not, at least that's what she told everyone.

This woman on the other hand found it a breath of fresh air, something she would point out every time she came by. This had to have been the fifth time in the last month and a half she had visited.

Jaune shared a look with Ren who only smiled back. It was rare for Nora to be so quiet and he was clearly enjoying every moment of it.

"Oh, I just can't take it anymore. These weekly visits are just becoming too much for me. You're coming home with me today my little princess. You'll love Oniyuri, its growing every day. Such a beautiful place, you'll be right at home. I'll go tell Angelina, she'll be delighted I'm sure. Oh, I'm just so excited."

Jaune's eyes went from amused to shocked and he stared at the large woman leave the room, her jewelry jingling as she moved. That never happened before. The woman had been coming by for weeks and always talked about how she _wished_ she could adopt Nora, never that she would. One look at Ren and he knew that the quiet boy was just as stunned.

Though that paled in comparison to the look on Nora's face. A mix of disbelief beset with horror, her body rigid facing the direction the woman left. She slowly turned to face them, her mouth opening and closing but no words coming out.

Ren seemed to break the stupor first, his voice low and head slightly bowed. "That's great. I'm sure you'll be very happy with your new home."

Even though he tried to hide it, Jaune could pick up the hurt in Ren's voice, the realization that she was leaving no doubt hitting him. It wasn't just Ren; the idea of Nora leaving was painful to him as well.

They had been together for months, they had saved him from the Grimm, they were his only friends. He didn't want to leave them, either of them. But he knew it was for the best.

He may have hated Samantha, distrusted her in every way but the one thing he did believe her on was that it was better to be adopted than not. She always preached it to them, to act their best when adopters were present, that maybe if they impressed them they would get to go home with them and live a better life.

It was a truth that everyone at the orphanage knew. It was why he had been ecstatic when Summer had asked to adopt him. He wanted a home, a family to look at him like his used to. He wanted to be held the way Summer had held him, he wanted to be loved.

It was also why he felt guilty about not telling Ren or Nora about what had happened a few weeks ago. Summer had explained that they were on a mission and couldn't take him right then but that once the mission was over she would come back here straight away and bring him home. Even the scruffy man in the gray shirt that smelled funny said they'd be back in no time.

He pretended that he didn't tell them because it might not happen, that for some reason they wouldn't come back. He told himself that but he knew they would, he trusted them, he trusted Summer to keep her word. The truth was he didn't want to hurt his friends with the thought of him leaving. He didn't want to hurt himself either, he didn't want to leave his friends.

"She seems really nice, you're lucky Nora." He wouldn't ruin this for her. This was Nora's chance at having a family, at having a home. It was great for her but why did it hurt so much to say it?

"But, but, I-"

"Oh, my little princess I'm baaaaack~"

A very off-key sing-song voice filled the air, the woman and Angelina now both making their way into the room. A smile was plastered and both of their faces and Angelina clutched a few papers in her aging hands.

"Wonderful news my dear, the paper work is finalized and everything is set. You'll be able to leave today and go to your new home? Aren't you excited?"

Nora's breath was heavy, her head shifting as her eyes jumped from the old caretaker and the overweight woman. Her head turned to look at Ren and then Jaune, her mouth gaping like a fish out of water, her eyes shaking as tears fought to be kept in.

"Oh, look at that, she's so happy she can't even speak. My dear I'm just as excited as you. I even have a surprise for yo-"

"NO!"

Her scream cut through the air and stopped both adults cold. Nora took the chance and leapt at her friends, using all her strength she wrapped her arms around them. "I won't leave them! They're my friends! They mean everything to me. I don't care what you have I'm not leaving them!"

Tears streamed down her face and she pulled them in tighter, forming a barrier of bodies and limbs between her and the two adults in the room. They could only stare wide eyed as Nora wailed against the two boys.

"Nora…" Jaune whispered, he hands automatically wrapping around her as she cried.

Ren didn't do anything for a few moments before he slowly closed his eyes and put his hands on her shoulder, pushing her away ever so slightly. "Nora, you can't do that. Not for us. You can be happy with her."

Nora shook her head violently, her dirty orange haired whipping back and forth. "No! I'm happy with you! You said that we would keep each other safe! How can we do that if we aren't together?"

Now Ren was left speechless and Nora fully embraced him, letting Jaune go in the process. Her grip was ironclad, not that Ren was fighting to remove her. Instead he embraced her back, his head resting on her shoulder.

"I am so sorry but it appears Nora is against the idea and I won't force her to do something she does not wish to do. Perhaps one of the other children may be what you're looking for."

Despite Nora's outright refusal, the middle-aged woman didn't seem bothered in the slightest with the rejection. In fact, her smile only brightened and she wiped a tear from her eye. "Oh, I think not. I knew my little princess had a big heart and wouldn't want to leave her purple eyed friend. They're practically stuck together every time I've come here. That's why I spoke to my husband and he agreed that I can bring both home. I do love the color of his eyes, so exotic! Now you can bring your friend with you, how does that sound?"

Nora removed herself from Ren's arms and looked back at the overbearing woman, her eyes going from each woman and then back to Ren. He didn't seem to know what to say either, caught off guard by the offer just as much as Nora was.

Jaune didn't say anything and bit down on his tongue. This was good, no matter how much it seemed to hurt it was good for both of his friends. And this way he wouldn't hurt them when Summer came back. It was perfect, if only the thought of them both leaving didn't make his chest ache.

"What about Jaune?"

" _Nora no…"_

The wealthy woman seemed to have the same train of thought as her smile finally faltered. Her eyes looked him up and down before they zeroed in at his waist for some reason. Those once happy eyes seemed to narrow before she whispered something to Angelina. The response she received didn't improve her mood as her face took on a complete grimace. "I'm sorry my dear, but my husband would be rather upset with me if I brought more home then I promised. I can only take you and your green clothed friend. Surely that is enough?"

Nora tried to outright deny her but her voice was silent and she turned to look at him. She understood this would mean for both her and Ren. He understood it as well. Every orphan here understood it. He couldn't let Nora throw that away for both of them, not for him. They deserved it more than anyone here.

"Do not worry about Jaune, Nora. Jaune is going to be adopted in short order by a pair of huntsmen that visited us a few weeks ago. Once they come back from their mission they will be taking him. I'm sure he didn't tell you in fear of upsetting you both and perhaps he was afraid they wouldn't come back. I will alleviate that fear. I've known Summer since she was your age, she'll keep her promise and come get him soon."

Nora and Ren's heads snapped to Jaune, both questioning and slightly hurt gazes hit him at once. The tightness in his chest increased but he nodded at Angelina's words. "I'm sorry. I didn't know if they would come or not. I didn't want to cause any problems."

Nora looked like she wanted to say something but didn't get the chance to as Ren reached out and grabbed Jaune and pulled him into him and Nora. "We forgive you. Are you ok with us leaving?"

Jaune didn't say anything but instead wrapped his arms around both Nora and Ren and nodded furiously. He felt Nora's unnatural strength hug him back in response and Ren's far softer hand patting him on the shoulder.

"Promise me that we'll meet again one day. When we're older. Promise."

Blue eyes met turquoise and a small smile crept up onto his face. "I promise. And an Arc-"

"Always keeps their word." They finished for him, Nora giggling slightly at the small echo.

"Oh, you all are just so precious. I need to leave before I go back on my word and take all of you home with me. Come on my little flowers, I want to be back in Oniyuri before nightfall. Follow me~"

With one more quick hug each, Ren and Nora turned to follow the eccentric woman, leaving only Jaune and Angelina in the room. The older woman put a wrinkled hand on his shoulder and smiled sadly at the now lonely boy. "Don't worry, Jaune. Summer will be coming back any day now. Be happy for your friends. They are going to have a much better life now than they would have if they stayed here. Rejoice in that."

Jaune only nodded but couldn't stop the sniffle that came. Nor could he stop the tears that he had been fighting from falling. He moved out of Angelina's grasp and moved for the exit.

The sun was setting in the distance and he could barely make out the carriage that no doubt was taking his friends away. More tears fell as she watched them go farther into the distance before they vanished completely from sight.

He heard the crackle of feet moving across gravel while he took a seat on the rough ground, his eyes never leaving the road coming to the orphanage.

"Come in Jaune, it'll be night soon and you'll catch a cold if you just sit out here."

It was weak but he moved his head in the negative, his eyes focused squarely ahead. "Not yet…"

He heard the sigh but didn't react to it. He felt a blanket wrap around his shoulders but didn't move an inch. He heard the Headmistress' steps grow fainter but didn't turn to watch her leave.

He only watched the road in front of him, his eyes never leaving the coarse gravel. He didn't flinch when the rains came down on him. He didn't squint when the harsh sun washed over him and baked him. He didn't move an inch when the cool winds sent shivers down his spine. He didn't even bat an eye as green leaves turned yellow and fell from their branches.

Autumn gave way to Winter, and yet still there was no Summer that came for him.

It wasn't until his breath shown in front of his face did he stir. His eyes looked skyward, heavy and sunken and snowed lightly pelted his exposed skin. The flakes melted and left his clothes damp and sticky. He didn't care about that, nor how he could no longer feel any part of his body. Only one thought played on repeat in his mind.

" _She's not coming."_

Finally, he let his eyes slip and shut, the rest of his body going completely numb. Tears he didn't know he still had escaped his eyes. He somehow managed to pull his legs into his chest, resting his head on his knees as reality set it.

It was then that he heard it. It was faint and he almost thought he made it up. Only when the sound repeated itself did he truly believe it. He opened his eyes and lifted his head to see a figure in the distance.

Again, he heard the crunch of fresh snow in his ears and hope swelled in his chest. The figure grew closer, each sound of snow under foot brought the person further into view. Jaune waited, breath baited and ears strained. Every second was a mix of agony and euphoria as the figure closed the distance.

It felt like an eternity but the figure finally came within view, stopping right in front of him. Jaune looked at them with anticipation before it quickly faded. There was no white hood, nor black locks kissed with fire. The figure wasn't even feminine in anyway.

The person in front of him was a lanky figure in dirty gray clothing. His face looked ragged and like he hadn't seen a razor in what had to be months. Sunken cheeks and bags rested under the man's eyes. Even still, those ruby red eyes bore down on him and the man tried to smile. He failed.

It wasn't Summer that had come for him. It was Qrow.

"Hey, kid…"

* * *

 **So, another chapter has come and gone. Sorry about the delay on this, things come up in real life that sadly draw my attention away. I do try to update as much as possible.**

 **But that set aside, we're moving ahead slowly but surely here and honestly the story is going to start picking up rather quickly from here on out. This was pretty much the end of the intro arc and now we're going to start building up the primary story so hopefully everyone is excited about that!**

 **And on top of that, RWBY volume 5 comes out next week. I don't know about you all but I'm really excited about this new season. I'm cautious as well because I'm hoping it doesn't flop but fingers crossed!**

 **Till next time.**


	4. Home

**Guess who's back? Yeah that's right, this guy, been awhile I know. I'll get into it a little more at the bottom for those that care but for now let's all enjoy another chapter of this fair story.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Home**

"I'll take two please."

"Of course, sir, what flavor?"

The shopkeeper waited patiently while the roguish huntsman read through his scroll, a deep scowl etched upon the man's face. When the red eyed man continued to give no response the ice cream parlor employee coughed slightly into his fist.

"Uh wuah? Did you say something?"

"I was just asking what flavors you wanted."

Qrow's eyes widened slightly and looked at the assorted flavors. He clicked his tongue in annoyance before pointing at one of the large tubs. "Eh, let's just go with chocolate, who doesn't like chocolate?"

Qrow forked over the necessary Lien and took the frozen treats. The bell on the door jingled and a curse escaped his lips, the bright sun all but blinding him as he steeped out onto the streets of Vale. It was as busy as ever and it took a little effort to weave between the random civilians passing by. He stopped at a small table with an umbrella. A lone occupant sat at said table, their head down and oblivious to the world around them.

"Hey kid, I got ya something to tide you over till the ride to Beacon. I hope you like chocolate."

Blue eyes bore into his and the offered treat hung there. Qrow could feel his smile crack and falter before a small hand finally reached out and took it from his grasp. He let a sigh of relief leave him and he took the other open seat at the table, his tongue flicking out to try his own savory treat.

The two sat in relative silence, the ambient noise of the city filling the void. It had been a few months since Qrow had been back in Vale proper and the city seemed as lively as ever. Cars drove past in a rush of dust fueled speed, people hustled through the streets, one unfortunate soul tripped over their own feet and spilled papers across the busy sidewalk. He scowled at that and averted his gaze.

His eyes landed on his charge and he had to fight down the urge to growl at the boy. He sat there with a blank expression on his face, his ice cream melting down his hand, though you would never know it by his reaction or lack thereof.

"You know, if you don't eat it quickly it's going to melt away. Don't you want to eat it?"

Jaune's eyes went from the ever-dwindling amount of ice cream in his hand to Qrow's halfcocked smirk. For a moment it didn't seem like the eleven-year-old was going to say anything. Then his lips parted ever so slightly, his voice coming out as a quiet whisper. "I hate chocolate."

He watched as Jaune then turned and threw the treat into a nearby trash bin, the boy's eyes going back to the patio table. It took three deep breathes to stop the twitch in his eye and three more to halt the choice words that entered his mind from being uttered. It was fine, so what if the brat didn't like chocolate? He should've asked before he went in.

The thoughts did nothing to take away from the sound of his teeth cracking against one another however. It was fine, just breathe, let it go, it wasn't a big deal. He just needed to find another angle. "So, k-, Jaune, you've always lived on the frontier towns in Anima, right?"

Jaune looked up to meet his eyes before he slowly nodded. Considering that had been one of the best responses he had gotten from the kid all trip he took it as a sign to continue. "Well, have you ever gone to any of the Kingdoms before? Mistral maybe?"

"No, I've never been past Shion before now."

The answer was short and lacking any real emotion, something that had been basically the norm ever since he picked him up. Qrow would have never imagined that Summer's death would hit Jaune just as hard as it hit everyone else close to her. For all intents and purposes Summer was a stranger that Jaune had met for a few hours and that was it.

That old caretaker explained more however and her words were anything but encouraging. Jaune had apparently put all his hopes in Summer adopting him, going so far as convincing his only friends at the orphanage to leave him behind because he was going to a great home.

After those two left Jaune became disconnected and even standoffish to those around him save for Angelina herself. Every week that passed the worse his moods became and the more they feared that they were going to have to remove him from the orphanage completely.

Then _he_ came, carrying the bad news on his wings and the kid just kind of shut down. He didn't argue when Qrow dragged him from that crumbling building, nor did he even pretend to be happy about the development, he just went through the motions. Maybe he could have salvaged the situation back then if he had tried but truth be told he wasn't doing much better than Jaune was. The only thing keeping him in the right frame of mind was his darling nieces back home.

Even now they needed him and he hated the fact that he wasn't in Patch right now. He wanted nothing more than to grab the closest bullhead and fly straight over there. But he couldn't, at least not yet. He made a promise to Summer and he would be damned if he didn't deliver on it. Now if only this blond-haired bastard would make things easier on him.

He tried to crack a smirk but it came off as weak and disingenuous. "Well, what do you think of the first capital you've ever visited? Is it everything you've ever dreamed of?"

To Jaune's credit, he did look around and probably for the first time absorb his surroundings. He let him take it all in and the atmosphere between the two of them seemed to lift slightly, at least until Jaune opened his mouth. "It's noisy, I don't like it."

Qrow's smirk died but he rebounded well enough, a small chuckle coming out. "Heh, well you're not the first person to hate the city life. Can't say I disagree either, I'm always on the road or staying with my nieces out in Patch. It's a lot quieter out there. Maybe I'll show you around sometime."

The conversation died with that and Qrow rubbed the back of his neck. Yang and Ruby were never this difficult to talk to, even after what happened to Summer. Luckily for him, his vibrating scroll gave him an excuse to look away. "Yo, this is Qrow."

Mumbled words came through the small device but he could understand the gruff voice easily enough, a small smile breaking out on his face. "Five minutes? Finally, some good news. Yeah, we'll be right there."

He stashed the scroll in his pants pocket and lifted himself from his chair, motioning for Jaune to do the same. "Come on kid, our ride's finally ready. Let's get moving."

Jaune wordlessly rose from his seat and fell in line behind him. He stayed close enough to make sure to not lose the man in the crowded walkways. He wasn't latched onto him in anyway however, nothing like how most children would act in a large unfamiliar city. It was as if the kid was following him but didn't really seem to care if they got separated.

Qrow narrowed his eyes at the boy's action but bit his tongue. If the kid wasn't scared of being lost in a big city it wasn't any skin off his bones. If anything, it made it easier to move about without 80 pounds of dead weight shackled to his leg.

He knew the action wasn't normal though and it gnawed at the back of his mind. He remembered the first time Ruby came to Vale, it took them an hour to get her to release the death grip she had on their pant leg. Even Yang clutched onto either Tai or Summer or himself when they visited Vale together for the first couple times. There was a trepidation that accompanied the prospect of visiting such a large place with so many other people around. Even if they didn't fully understand it, there was an innate sense of fear of being alone in an unfamiliar environment and kids would act accordingly to avoid that.

Jaune didn't have that instinctual dread of being lost and alone. Honestly, Jaune hadn't reacted at all like he expected him to. Sure, he hadn't raised Ruby and Yang every step of the way but he was sure as hell around enough to pick up on how they acted given certain circumstances. The entire trip from Anima was just one surprise after another and none of them good. There should have been some kind of fear in him while they traveled through unfamiliar territory. He should have seen panic in the kid's eyes when the occasional Grimm approached them. He should have felt a wary aura as they moved through the large city of Vale.

Instead he felt nothing, nothing but a detachedness that was so out of place it was unnerving. Surmise to say, the kid was fucked up. Perhaps not a true medical evaluation but he felt it got the point across. He didn't need some fancy piece of paper to see what was in front of his eyes.

What to do about said fucked-upness was another question entirely, one he wasn't prepared or willing to tackle. It wasn't going to be his problem soon enough anyway, once he got the kid to Beacon his obligation was over. His eyes trailed the arrival of a bullhead at the docking station and couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped him. Finally, his baby-sitting jig was coming to a close.

"Ever ridden on a bullhead before, kid?"

A shake of the head in the negative was all he got in response to which he only smirked. "Well, now's as good a time as ever. Trust me, you'll love it."

 **/-/**

He knew to trust his gut reaction when Qrow said he'd like the stupid flying machine and as he spilled said guts into the nearest trash bin he could do little else but curse the man's name. He wiped away the last dredges of vomit from his mouth and glared at Qrow, the black-haired man snickering to himself on the edge of the ramp.

"Bet you wish you would've eaten something to settle your stomach, don't ya? Can't say I didn't try to help earlier."

The words did little to calm him but he did turn away, his eyes instead focused on his surroundings. He had never seen an academy before but Jaune somehow felt the word fitting. In front of them was a long cobblestone path that jutted out in several directions, almost creating a miniature maze of intertwining paths. Outside the paths was lush green grass and healthy green trees that seemed to thrive despite the cooler winter air. Beyond that lay several large buildings that came to a point and at the center of all of that, looming over everything else, was a large gray tower illuminated by several green glowing orbs at the top.

"Quite the sight the first time around isn't it? Don't worry though, the magic wears off pretty quick, right around your second week of classes."

"Not everyone detested classes like you and your sister, Qrow. Most students found their time at Beacon quite enjoyable, including their lessons."

The two turned to see the owner of the new voice, a rather lanky individual wearing black dress pants and a white button up dress shirt that was slightly untucked on the side. In his hand rested a steamy thermos while his other hand pushed a pair of opaque glasses on his nose. Besides the man's quick manner of speech, what really caught Jaune's attention was the strange shade of green the man had for his hair.

"Whatever you say prof, I was always more of a hands-on kind of learner, theory didn't really do it for me."

The strange man shook his head in annoyance before taking a quick sip of his drink. "First of all, it's doctor thank you very much, I do have my PhD now. Secondly, I am very much aware of your personal preference to learning. I did oversee your development for four years after all."

A soft chuckle escaped Qrow and he nodded to the point. "So you did, so you did. I take it since you're here to greet us Oz got my message?"

A quick sip of his thermos and a nod was the man's response. "Indeed, the Headmaster sent me out to collect both you and Mr. Arc and escort you to one of our staff meeting rooms." The eccentric man turned his attention away from Qrow and slightly bent over in Jaune's direction. "And I take it that you are Jaune, my deepest condolences, I can only imagine what you've been through thus far."

Jaune could only nod nervously while slowing inching towards Qrow who to his credit picked up on it and patted the boy's shoulder, albeit a fair bit rougher than he would have liked. "He's saying he's sorry about what happened to your family. The prof here's smart but can be a little intense at first, you'll get used to him soon enough. And Barty, mind toning it down a little for the kid? He's like twelve, not a freshman."

"I'm not twelve. I'm eleven."

Those were the first words he'd spoken since leaving the bullhead behind and his voice came off far raspier than he would have liked, more than likely from his vomiting from earlier. Regardless, both adults still heard him and shared a quick look before Qrow rubbed the back of his head. "Right. Eleven it is. Sorry bout that kid. I know how pouty Ruby gets when you get her age wrong, won't happen again, right Barty?"

A light blush spread across the man's face and he pushed up his glasses despite having just done so a few seconds ago. "Of course. My apologies. Now, if you'll follow me, the Headmaster is waiting for us."

Jaune fell in line behind Qrow who walked in pace with the taller man, the two exchanging remarks with one another. They passed through the courtyard and Jaune quickly found himself walking through some of the most impressive buildings he had ever seen.

While he hadn't spent much time in any building other than the orphanage while he lived in Shion, he had seen plenty of buildings in Aerilon but he had never seen anything that could compare to the halls of Beacon Academy. Everything was so big and clean. Nothing was out of order and even the occasional person that crossed their path seemed to fit in perfectly with the image.

So lost in the sights around him, Jaune didn't notice the two men's disappearance before he found himself alone among countless towers of shrubbery and flowers. He had seen gardens before of course, his mother had a small one back home but the term garden didn't quite seem to do this area justice. The soaring wall of plant life on either side of him formed a pathway to walk in. Vines were interwoven between the metal frames and allowed said plants to grow and cover an expanse greater than what he had ever seen before.

He followed the colorful walkway into a large circular doom that housed even more plants. Some he recognized from Anima while the vast majority were a complete unknown. What he did know however was that this was the most beautiful place he had ever seen. The array of flowers and other plants were arranged in such a way that couldn't have been natural but still amplified each individual flower's beauty.

The sight was breath taking and one that he would have loved to show his friends. Nora would have loved this place and he knew that despite any protests, Ren would be just as excited to find such a place. One of the nearby roses seemed to jut out a little farther than the rest, it's blood red petals in full bloom. Tentatively, he reached out his hand to grasp the flower and his fingers curled around the stem.

He ripped his hand free a second later, the pretty flower being torn from its home in the process.

"You shouldn't have done that. Are you hurt?"

Angry blue eyes shifted from the offending rose on the ground to the sound of an exasperated feminine voice next to him. He took in the matured face of a woman around the same age as his parents. Her eyes were a sharp emerald that despite her tone appeared soft. Her light blond hair was tied back in a bun with a single curve riding down the right side of her face. The woman didn't seem bothered by the cool winter air as she wore a black high pencil skirt and a white, long sleeved pleated top with a large opening just below the neckline. The black and purple cape she wore was an odd accessory but Jaune made no mention of it.

She took the hand that had touched the rose and an embarrassed flush washed over his face as he tried to look anywhere but at the beautiful woman in front of him. "I-I'm fine."

He heard her make a small tutting noise that he had heard plenty of times from his sisters and mother back home but the mysterious woman didn't elaborate on it, instead tracing his palm with her delicate finger. "Are you? These little cuts say otherwise. Hold still while I clean them."

The woman withdrew something from her skirt and he winced as she started wiping his hand with it. The cloth stung and the droplets of blood that had started to form were washed away. It only took a few moments but it seemed a lot longer as he began to squirm in her grasp.

"I don't understand. I have aura, why didn't it protect me?"

She gave him a puzzling look before she took out a small needle and gently tried to prick his finger. He felt a slight pain but there was no penetration, his aura flaring to life to block the offending object.

She looked at his finger curiously before stashing the needle away and giving him a small smile, her hand still holding his as she inspected it. "How surprising. Though it shouldn't come as one since you're at Beacon. Well to answer your question, aura protects you so long as you are using it. You have to be actively thinking about it or projecting it for it to work. It's not just an always on, that would be ridiculous."

Jaune didn't say anything but merely nodded in understanding. He didn't, or at least he wasn't completely sure. His dad had never mentioned that before but it wasn't like he had been able to train with him much. Maybe he would've told him that in time?

She must have read through his confusion, a sigh escaping her while she wiped away the last dredges of dirt and blood. Her voice took on a tone not unfamiliar to that of his mother when she would lecture him. It sounded natural from her, almost as if she was used to giving lectures. "For most huntsmen, activating their aura is an instinctual thing when in combat. You really don't need to think about it, your body just knows that it needs to have it on. After you train enough it'll be the same for you."

Jaune nodded along, still not one hundred percent understanding her but willing to believe her. She at least seemed to know what she was talking about.

Satisfied with her work, the unnamed woman released his hand with a smile. "There we go, all done. There's no point in wrapping it since the cuts are so small that your aura will have it fixed it no time but be sure to not grab onto any more thorns. The flowers may look pretty but even they can be dangerous if you aren't careful."

His cheeks still felt hot but now that he had his hand back he could at least look her in the face. "My dad used to say that about girls too."

She gave him a blank look before a few chuckles escaped her mouth. "Well, he's not wrong. So, for both pretty flowers _and_ pretty girls. It's okay to look but not touch, they're both dangerous."

"Does that mean you're dangerous?"

The woman's mirth left her as she processed the words and her cheeks gained the tiniest hint of pink to them. Her green eyes softened and a small smile made its way onto her face. "Well aren't you just the little sweet talker? You best be careful with your words in the future or you may give a girl the wrong impression. My name is Glynda Goodwitch by the way, what is your name?"

He smiled at Glynda, his face lighting up.

"My name is Jaune!"

A spark of recognition flashed through those emerald orbs but it was gone in an instant, her smile however wavered and didn't recover. "Ah… it's a pleasure to meet you Jaune. Tell me, what are you doing alone in the gardens?"

He opened his mouth to talk but slowly closed it and averted his gaze. In truth, he didn't even know how he had gotten to the garden and he had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't supposed to go wandering around by himself. His parents hated it when he wandered off and they would scold him for it, he hated it when they scolded him.

The silence dragged on and he couldn't bear it any longer. He raised his eyes to meet the woman's. He expected to see annoyance etched onto her face but only found a calm patience. When it was clear that she was going to wait for as long as it took for him to respond he tentatively spoke. "I… I'm lost. I was following Qrow but I don't know where he is anymore… I'm sorry."

The annoyance that he was expecting finally came in the form of a deep sigh from the woman. She pinched the brow of her nose and closed her eyes, whispers coming from her mouth but not spoken nearly loud enough for his ears to pick up on.

She finally brought her attention back to him, her visage marred with frustration but she quickly hid it. "I see, Qrow sadly can be unreliable in certain instances… It's of no matter however, I just happen to know where he would be going, follow me Jaune and I'll take you back to him. And do please pay attention so you do not get lost again. It is quite easy to lose yourself within Beacon if you don't know your way around."

Jaune found himself stumbling over himself to try and keep up with the long-legged woman. Her strides were long and purposeful, no movement wasted as she traversed the halls of the academy with a casual ease. They rounded a few more corners before they entered the main tower. The layout of the central building didn't differ greatly from the rest of Beacon, not that he really had time to try and figure out his way around with how fast miss Goodwitch was moving. It wasn't long before he could hear voices that he recognized, the gruff voice of his current caretaker and the fast-paced words of the other man he was with.

"How did he even manage to wander off? He was right behind us for crying out loud!"

"Beacon is a marvelous establishment but its sheer size makes losing one's way very easy, more so for those that are unfamiliar with the landscape. Also, you should have been keeping a better eye on the boy."

"Don't try to pin this on me, you didn't notice he was gone at all. Come on, he couldn't have gotten too far."

"Oh, I disagree, a boy his age could have gotten very far within the academy in the amount of time he's been missing. Also, Jaune was not my charge to watch. If he was I would have paid far greater attention to him."

The few words that he could hear did not do wonders for his opinion of the man. Granted, the journey from Anima had done more of a number on that front that he really didn't think it mattered what the older huntsman did or said at this point. It all boiled down to one thing, that he was a burden.

Qrow tried to hide it, or at least he thought he tried to hide it. The man never outright said it but the entire trip from Shion had been a tense one. Qrow had been reserved, more so than the first time he had visited the orphanage. In the beginning he could only get the bare minimum out of the man. What they were eating, what they needed to do to set up camp for the night. Anything past that all he would receive were grunts.

He had asked about Summer but even before he had asked he knew the answer. Even for him it was obvious what had happened. Despite that, he needed to know. He had trusted Summer, never once had he thought she would abandon him. For better or worse he had put his faith in her.

When he had seen Qrow show up alone he knew she wasn't ever coming back for him. Still, he had asked and Qrow's response was as curt and bitter as he felt. _'She's gone.'_ It was all he said but all that really needed to be said. It didn't matter how or why, only that she was gone, just like his parents, just like his sisters.

Another person he trusted was gone, regardless of intent or effort, they were gone and he was left alone again. He was tired of it. He was tired of seeing the people around him abandon him. Even seeing Qrow's relieved face when he finally noticed him did nothing to bring him happiness.

He took the admonishment from his 'caretaker' with a shallow nod and couldn't help but wonder as the man turned to miss Goodwitch how long it would take Qrow to find a reason to abandon him too. It was clear to him that Qrow didn't want to look after him, the man only doing so for a reason he didn't know.

All of their conversations had been terse and felt forced. It reminded him of his parents trying to force him to make friends with strangers at school. The conversations were short and painful to work through, even when he had tried his best. Now when it was clear that neither of them really wanted to talk? It was even worse and seemed pointless even to him.

He followed along, this time taking care to not lose Qrow as they moved deeper into the building. They eventually turned into a small room outfitted with a few chairs and a table in the center of the room. Small concessions littered the shelves, appliances like microwaves and coffee machines and the like. Most telling was the bin next to the counters filled to the brim with discarded coffee containers.

"Alright kid, I know its not much but you'll be stuck in here for a bit. Not too long, I just have some business I need to take care of. I'll be back before you know it." The man finished the sentence and reached out with his hand and ruffled his hair.

He must have missed the part about staying here while Qrow left for this apparent meeting but it didn't bother him. It wasn't as if Qrow's presence was comforting in the first place. Qrow's hand still roughly meshed his hair back and forth and with a bit of a growl he shook his head violently, finally freeing his head from the man's grasp.

"Oh, and no wandering off. I don't want to have to track down your scrawny butt in some random corner of the school, got that?"

Those rubellite eyes bore into him and Jaune couldn't help but gulp before shaking his head in the positive. He had a feeling that if he didn't listen to Qrow he would receive more than a stern few words.

He watched as the three adults left the room, only miss Goodwitch turning to look at him for a moment before leaving. Their eyes met for a moment but he couldn't make out the look before she disappeared.

Without the others the room was eerily quiet and Jaune quickly made his way over to a spare couch in the corner of the room. Seconds ticked by and as more minutes passed his eyes found their way back to the only door to the room.

He knew he was being stupid. He knew that Qrow was going to come back eventually. The man wouldn't just up and leave him without saying anything, would he? No, that was stupid, but then why did his chest hurt with every moment the door remained closed?

Somewhere inside he knew the answer, he knew the truth. It had been too cruel of a reality for him to not know the answer. The truth was that eventually, everyone would leave. Regardless of their intention or how hard they tried or how much they cared, everyone leaves eventually.

 **/-/**

It was funny how time could change one's perspective on certain things. Ten years ago, if someone had asked him what he thought of Ozpin's office he would have scoffed and listed off several less than savory descriptions of the place. Now though, he would call in familiar, comforting even.

The many cogs surrounding the room moved with a mechanized fluidity, their sound reverberating throughout the decent sized room. A small smile graced his enervated face, his eyes roving around the room. He had spent more time in here than he would admit, most of it with his team, being admonished for something completely out of their control.

The gears continued to whine but he didn't even register the sound they made. Memories flooded his mind, surrounded by friends, Tai's awful jokes, Summer's fit of giggles, Raven's annoyed grunts. They were never perfect but they made it work, better than most did even. They fought, bled and celebrated together. He wouldn't trade those times for anything in the world. They were simpler times… better times.

Qrow played with the crooked cross laying on his exposed chest, his fingers brushing over the cool metal before he let it fall back into place. Instead he grabbed the steel flask on his hip and unscrewed it. He looked at the object in his grasp but his eyes were anywhere but in the room, his vision focused on something far, far away. "To better times…"

The whisper died to the sounds of metal churning on metal. The burn from the drink felt good against his throat and only when the flask was completely empty did he remove it from his lips. He shook the container a few more times for good measure and cursed his inability to refill it before arriving at Beacon.

"Are you drinking already, Qrow? It's not even noon."

Ruby red eyes narrowed at the sound of the voice, the owner standing in the elevator to the office that had just opened. Glynda Goodwitch walked out, her black heeled boots clacking against the floor and her emerald eyes glaring at the offending object still in his grasp.

"A good a time as any to start. You'd feel the same if you were in my shoes." He challenged with more fight in his voice than he felt.

He had to fight back a shudder when her eyes narrowed on him, her face contorting into a look of contempt that he was all too familiar with. Despite the fact that she had no real power over him anymore she still scared the crap out of him, not that he would let her see it. Damn scary woman…

A long sigh escaped her lips but her eyes still held that disapproving look that was essentially her default look when it came to him. "You drink enough as it is Qrow, you don't need to get a head start. Summer wouldn't approve of it, you know that."

His teeth cracked at the comment and he had to turn away lest he say something he knew he would regret later. Still, his eyes trailed down to the flask in his hand and with a reluctant sigh he clasped it and hung it back on his hip. "Yeah, well, she's not exactly around anymore to tell me off."

He didn't need to see the look on her face to know he probably shouldn't have said that, the enveloping silence spoke volumes about how poor a choice of words that was. Normally he might have cared about such things but right now he couldn't even find the emotion. All he wanted to do was finish up here as fast as possible and find a hole in the wall to lose himself in.

"Then it's true. Despite your report, we held out hope that it wasn't fully factual. I suppose that was too much to hope for. I am sorry, Qrow."

The new voice spoke with a calm collectedness that he had come to expect from the man. Even at the news of the death of one of his own huntresses his voice never wavered. He wasn't sure if he was impressed with Ozpin's self-control or furious at the man's lack of emotional response. He decided to pick the middle ground and gave an exhausted grunt in response.

Ozpin moved past Qrow and took his place behind his desk, Glynda following behind but staying on the same side of the desk as Qrow. "I have of course gone through the report several times since we received it last month but was there anything else that you wanted to add? Something that perhaps you forgot to mention?"

"Other than adding that Hazel is a bastard a few more hundred times? No, it's all there. Even if it wasn't, now isn't the time, there's something a little more pressing that we need to deal with, the sooner the better."

His anger leaked through his words at the mention of Summer's murderer but neither Ozpin nor Glynda made a mention of it. The entire mission was a shit show from start to finish and he really didn't want to relive it right now.

It must have been obvious enough since Ozpin latched onto the change of subject without complaint. "Ah yes, your new charge. I suppose that does need to be resolved right away. We're only waiting on Oobleck and Port. They should only be a minute more or so and then we can properly address this."

Qrow raised an eyebrow in question but the elevator dinging stopped the question on the tip of his tongue. The door opened to reveal two of Beacon's more experienced professors. The two men strode out of the elevator and stopped only a few feet behind Qrow and Glynda.

"I apologize for our tardiness headmaster, Peter was deeper in the Emerald Forest than I had anticipated." Oobleck said with a slight nod towards his companion.

A hearty laughed escaped the far shorter man, his burgundy suit being stressed far more than it should have with such a simple motion. "Don't blame Barty, it was my own zealousness that led me to go that far into the Emerald Forest. You know how it is, once I feel the rage of battle I can't stop. The foul beasts were barely putting up a fight at the end!"

Ozpin waved off their concerns and gave them a soft smile. "It's not a problem, we only just arrived ourselves a few moments ago. Now that we're all here however, we can begin. Qrow has brought with him a rather unique problem and it was my hope that together we could find a suitable solution."

"Yes, I had read the memo you sent out Ozpin and it is most troubling, though I suppose it is a small miracle that the boy survived that tragedy at all." Oobleck said.

Qrow rolled his eyes at the comment and not for the first time wished his flask had more than air in it at the moment. "Yippie for miracles. That doesn't change the fact that we have nowhere for the kid to go. I promised Summer I would take the kid away from the orphanage. I didn't really have a plan for after."

Oobleck didn't seem to mind Qrow's tone or at least didn't comment on it. "Quite. But there is something that bothers me, are you sure that the boy is who you think he is? From all reports, the entire Arc family was killed during the Aerilon massacre. It would be strange if the youngest scion of the family somehow escaped by himself. Even if the White Fang failed in hunting him down, Aerilon is a frontier town in Anima. Such an attack would have drawn in Grimm from hundreds of miles away. If you truly found him in Shion he would have had to travel for over a week on foot. Something a ten-year-old should find to be impossible given the circumstances."

For once a genuine smile worked its way onto Qrow's face as he looked at Oobleck. "Oh, he's definitely Arthur's kid. He looks just like him and he has Crocea Mors, Summer confirmed it when we first met him. The kid's also a survivor, I can tell you that much. I don't know what Arthur was preparing him for but he knew his stuff when it came to roughing it through the wilderness. I barely had to tell him what to do. The kid didn't even freak out when we came across Grimm. Nervous? Sure, but not scared. It definitely wasn't the first Grimm he'd seen and if I were to guess, he's killed them before too. He's definitely Jaune Arc."

"HaHo! He sounds like a marvelous lad! I'm failing to see any problems here." Peter said with his usual boisterous attitude.

Qrow couldn't stop the growl but managed to keep his voice level. Port was a good man, sadly his personality was grating at the best of times. "The problem, Peter, is that we don't have a place for the kid to go."

The man blinked a few times, his expression unreadable behind his impressive facial hair. "Preposterous! He would stay with you of course. You're the one that got him after all."

Qrow gave the man a flat stare and with a huff shook his head in the negative. "I don't think so. Kids really aren't my thing. I can barely deal with Yang and Ruby and they're not even in my direct care." He then took the moment to look away and whisper the next part. "Besides, he wouldn't want the burden of my name."

"Then if not you, then what about Tai? He's always been good with kids and Yang and Ruby are Jaune's age. Surely he could handle one more child and it may be good for the boy to have friends his age." Oobleck suggested.

Again, Qrow shook his head and if that wasn't obvious, the scowl on his face made it clear what he thought of the suggestion. "Tai has been strange ever since he found out about Summer. Honestly, I'm worried about him and the girls. I don't know if he can even take care of Ruby and Yang right now, let alone another kid with a slew of problems. He's out of the question."

That brought the conversation to a halt. He knew that the obvious choice would be to saddle the kid with either him or Tai. Yang and Ruby would provide easy friends for Jaune and Tai and himself at least knew how to deal with small children, unlike everyone else in this room.

If it was that simple he would've never bothered bringing Jaune to Beacon and he would've headed straight to Patch with Jaune in tow. But that wasn't the case. When he had said he was worried about Tai, that was putting it mildly. Tai was one bad night's sleep from a complete and utter meltdown. There wasn't much he could do other than make sure the girls didn't suffer for it while Tai put himself back together. Jaune had enough problems to deal with and he wasn't going to throw him into the middle of that mess.

His eyes settled on Glynda who for the first time since he had met her looked indecisive. Whatever she was thinking clearly wasn't a pleasant idea but that hardly mattered at this point. A bad idea was still an idea and at this point they really didn't have a lot going for them in terms of solutions. "What is it, Glynda? It can't be any worse than what's been suggested so far."

Still she hesitated, almost as if she was measuring her words. Finally, she did speak, though tentatively at first. "This…this may sound callous of me but why not just send him to the orphanage here in Vale? If you had no intention of taking care of him yourself then you should have left him in Shion."

She was right, it was callous but nothing he didn't expect from her. She was right on the other bit too, he really shouldn't have taken the kid knowing that he wasn't going to bring him to Patch. But he promised Summer he would get him out of there and he would be damned if he broke that promise.

"That would end badly, for both him and everyone at the unlucky orphanage we stick him in. Like I said, the kid has issues, issues that would take a huntsman to handle. It's why I took him with me to begin with, Summer knew he needed to get out of there and I really couldn't disagree."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow at the assertion, a more interested look on his face than was there previously. "And what kind of issues would require the direct attention of a huntsman? He's merely an eleven-year-old from what you've described. Even if he's violent it would hardly require the direct attention of a trained huntsman. Unless there's something more to it?"

Qrow knew the real question the man was asking and couldn't help his scowl from deepening. He narrowed his eyes on the man and gave a very subtle shake of his head. The kid was a special case, no doubt about that but he wasn't the kind of special Ozpin was looking for. Oh gods at least he hoped not, he didn't think the kid could handle anymore crap than what he was already dealing with.

"It's complicated, at least from what we've seen. For the most part he's a normal kid but there are some underlying issues we noticed and were told about when we met him. He's fiercely defensive of his possessions and the people he likes. I mean fiercely too. The kid has his aura unlocked and knows how to swing his old man's sword. Not well mind you but enough to scare any civilian away. Can't blame them either, that blade is sharp and the kid's way stronger than someone his age has any right being."

Glynda shifted slightly on her feet but took a more contemplative look. "From what I've heard it's not unusual for orphans to lash out with violent tendencies but I will admit his background could be an issue for any civilians to deal with. Is he violent with everyone aside from those he trusts?"

"Naw, and I wouldn't exactly say he's violent, at least not yet. Hostile is more like it, and really only to a certain portion of the population, if you catch my drift."

Silence permeated the room as that little tidbit sunk in. No one wanted to jump down that rabbit hole it seemed, no one except Oobleck who had even set aside his thermos. "That… that would make sense all things considered I suppose. The Arc's were the main protectors of Aerilon for generations and while the White Fang deny specifically targeting the Arcs, claiming instead Aerilon was a bastion of oppression, many and myself included, believe the attack was to send a message of strength to the four kingdoms."

Ozpin nodded along, adding his own thoughts. "A message that was well received by all of us. Many were more than willing to turn a blind eye to the occasional protest that escalated or the few random acts of vandalism that was attributed to the White Fang. They were easily written off as fringe factions and the White Fang were mostly doing good, peaceful work. When they claimed responsibility for that atrocity, we could no longer give them the benefit of the doubt, especially given their apparent militaristic strength. I know James in particular has taken a rather hardline and aggressive stance to the organization's new philosophy."

"Indeed. As a result, anti-faunus sentiment is at an all time high. It is no surprise that someone who survived the Aerilon massacre would hold such grievances, he would be more justified in his dislike than anyone else and given how young he is, he could most certainly be forgiven for his current attitude towards faunus."

"It's more than grievances Barty, it's borderline paranoia. You must have seen how he reacted to that student back there when she showed her faunus ears, he looked wound up and ready to lash out if she did anything." Qrow waited for Oobleck's nod before continuing. "It's only a matter of time before he becomes proactive instead of reactive." Qrow explained.

Ozpin hummed to himself, his hand reaching out to his now cooled mug of coffee. He took a short sip, barely long enough to enjoy the flavor before speaking. "You're suggesting someone take the boy who could help guide him away from these tendencies before they grow into something more problematic and would be capable of suppressing them if they indeed get worse as you predict. I'm afraid the list for potential candidates that fits those requirements is rather small, Qrow, even fewer who could actually stand to take on a child at all."

"No need to be so cryptic, Ozpin! I can read between the lines when needed and you flatter me with your praise. While the task may seem daunting for most I will tackle this challenge head on. I will take on the boy! I will shape him into a splendid huntsman!" Port's booming voice echoed through the office.

"I don't believe that wise dear friend."

"Not a chance in hell I'm letting that happen."

"Over my dead body."

The responses were instantaneous and just as passionate as the declaration. Ozpin could only sigh while holding his head, the impending headache well past the point of no return now. "As generous an offer as that is Peter, I do not believe now would be a good time for you to adopt a child. Your Grimm culling activities for Beacon are too important for your attention to be divided in such a way."

Port seemed to consider the headmaster's point, his plump hand stroking his massive mustache. "I suppose you are correct. I did not think of that. A shame, I would have enjoyed creating another huntsman in my image."

A collective shudder ran through those present and Qrow caught himself reaching for the empty flask on his hip. Just another reason to find a liquor store after all of this was said and done. He didn't even want to think of what a Jaune raised by Port would end up like. And they said Grimm were the stuff of nightmares…

"This is quite the problem you've brought with you Qrow, though one that we cannot in good conscious ignore. Aside from the danger he presents if not properly raised, Arthur Arc was a huntsman worthy of respect and we would be spitting on his grave to abandon his child in such a way."

Ozpin paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "With that said, asking another to take on something like this without being willing to do so myself would feel wrong. If all else fails, I will take on the boy and raise him to the best of my ability."

"Absolutely not!"

All eyes turned to the deputy headmistress and Qrow had to let out a small chuckle at her own surprised face. She quickly schooled her features however and let out a slightly embarrassed cough, her cheeks turning the slightest shade of pink.

"I do not believe that to be a good course of action Headmaster. You already have more responsibilities than is healthy and adding a child to that list I feel is beyond even you."

Oobleck gave a light cough, earning everyone's attention. "I would have to concur with Glynda in this matter. Given what Qrow has told us and what little I have witnessed myself, Jaune would require a significant amount of attention to properly rehabilitate. Not to mention he would need someone that could articulate the small intricacies and nuances that revolve around the White Fang, the Faunus Rights Movement and how racism is a parasite on our society. Forgive my frankness, but at times you are not the best communicator. Something like this would need to be taught directly, not left with subtle clues for one to discover on their own."

Instead of being offended by his colleague's words, Ozpin merely sipped on his coffee and gave a knowing smile. "Hmm, perhaps you are right. But that still leaves us a problem without a solution. Unless of course, you know of someone who would be appropriate."

It was hard to read Barty's expression with the way the glare on his glasses hid his eyes from view. Qrow could see what Ozpin was aiming at and had to admit, given their limited options, Oobleck may be the best option, for better or worse. "Ozpin's right, I mean, who could possibly be as passionate about that topic and know enough about it to get it through the kid's thick head? Not to mention being a huntsman on top of it. Not many people like that in all of Remnant."

While he couldn't see it, Qrow knew that Oobleck had his eyes narrowed on him in clear annoyance, not that his smirk was helping any on that front.

"I am not so daft as to not see what you are trying to imply. While I would be more than happy to educate the boy on the finer details involving the incident, raising a child is a completely different story and one task I don't feel I am qualified for in any capacity. I don't know the first thing about raising a child."

Qrow let out a bark of laughter and went to pat the taller huntsman on the shoulder. "And you think Tai was qualified? He couldn't even make toast right when Yang was born. No one's ready for kids, it's a learning experience, you love those don't you?"

Oobleck's glare only intensified behind his glasses but it was Ozpin's voice that drew his attention.

"No one is forcing this on you Bartholomew but I would strongly suggest you give it serious thought. The boy is clearly in need of someone that can help in more ways than one. And you never know, he may end up teaching you something in return. At least meet with the boy, you can decide what to do afterwards."

Qrow's rough voice took over for Ozpin's. "Look, from what I've seen the kid isn't even looking for a family at this point. He never seemed concerned with it around me. He just needs someone to watch over him and teach him. You can do at least that much, can't you?"

Silence reigned while Oobleck thought over the request. Qrow glanced towards Ozpin whose expression was as neutral as ever. Glynda only gave him a slight shrug in response, clearly nothing more to say on the matter.

He snapped his eyes back to Oobleck when he raised his voice, finally coming to an answer. "Very well. I will meet with the boy. I cannot say the prospect doesn't intrigue me but I cannot say for certain until I can actually speak with him alone."

Qrow gave an actual smile at the news, genuinely happy that Oobleck would take the kid. And he did mean take. There was no way that Oobleck would turn the kid away after talking with him, he just wasn't the kind of person to turn someone away that he could help. It was one of the reasons that he did so well as a professor at Beacon. He only hoped the kid would be happy with this.

 **/-/**

Normally the organized mess that was his office brought him comfort, a domain all his own, surrounded by books and articles of a large variety but all important to his own pursuit of knowledge and understanding. Now however, they did little to quell the uneasiness he felt. The feeling in no small part due to his miniature guest sitting across from his desk.

Jaune Arc sat with his arms in his lap, fingers intertwined while his eyes stared at the desk. Those eyes were hard and unrelenting, something they've been ever since Qrow left. He knew that the boy wouldn't take kindly to Qrow leaving but his reaction wasn't exactly what he had expected.

He expected disbelief or an angry outrage but none of that came, only a cold acceptance that didn't belong on the face of a child. It was almost like Jaune had expected Qrow to leave him at some point and the action only reinforced his belief. Conversation after Qrow had left dwindled to a crawl, receiving only one-word answers to his questions, if he received an answer at all.

"So Jaune, how are you enjoying Beacon so far?"

Blue eyes raised enough to see him but his lips refused to move, the boy only glaring before going back to staring at his desk. Oobleck couldn't help the sigh that left him and pinched the bridge of his nose.

He expected having any conversation with Jaune would be difficult but he never imagined it would be this painful. He would almost rather sit in on one of Peter's sto-, erm, lectures, almost.

"You know, Beacon Academy has trained some of the most renowned huntsmen in history. There's no better place to attend if you wish to become a huntsman." Oobleck explained, hoping the different avenue would open Jaune up.

That received more than a customary glare, a spark of interest showed in those deep blue pools but it was quickly squashed. Jaune merely nodded to the comment before returning his attention to the desk.

Another topic gone and one he was sure would actually bare some fruit. Sadly, Jaune seemed determined to give him nothing and he was quite effective at it. With another sigh he reached for his thermos and took a sip before grunting and putting it down. The brew was cold and tasted foul on his tongue, something that he almost never allowed to happen.

"You know Jaune, you-"

"When are you going to take me to the orphanage?"

The words cut through his own like cold steel and gave him pause as he eyed the boy. No longer was Jaune looking at the desk, instead he had put his full attention on him, those eyes hard and angry. He swallowed the lump in his throat that he didn't know was there and responded. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

Jaune didn't seem impressed with his answer as his frown deepened. "You are going to send me away when you don't want to deal with me anymore, just like Qrow, just like everyone else. I just want to know when."

The thought had crossed his mind but he hadn't thought it had shown. Jaune wasn't like any child he had met before and their meeting hadn't exactly been pleasant thus far. He was standoffish and angry and more so than just at his current circumstances. The chip on his shoulder seemed deeper than even Qrow realized, or perhaps it was because of Qrow it was this deep at all.

"What do you mean by that? I had no intention of just dumping you off at the earliest convenience. I'm meant to look after you, I can hardly do that if I leave you behind."

Jaune's glare intensified at his words and he could see the shaping of a snarl form on the boy's lips. "Don't lie. Everyone leaves eventually and everyone breaks their promises. My parents did, Summer did, Qrow did and you will too."

"Your parents and Summer can hardly be blamed. They tried their hardest but were taken before their time. They had no intention of breaking their promises and abandoning you."

The resolve in Jaune's eyes surprised him and he was taken aback when the child raised his voice at him and stood from his seat. "That doesn't mean they didn't break their promises!" Jaune seemed to catch himself and quickly sat back down, averting his eyes while talking in a much softer tone. "It's even worse when they die because they can't make it right, they're just gone."

The words were too mature for a child to speak but they undoubtfully came from Jaune. The words were laced with pain that could only be obtained through experience, experience that no child should have had to be a victim of. His resignation over the matter struck a cord within him, it was something that he couldn't allow to stand.

Perhaps he had been going about this the wrong way. He had assumed that despite Jaune's experiences he would still be a kid at heart. A childlike desire to want a family and to be loved normally, a hope that his life could go back to being a happy one. Perhaps he needed to give Qrow more credit for he saw the writing on the wall far before he did.

He should have seen Jaune for what he was now. A broken individual with a thorn in his heart. He couldn't treat Jaune like the child he appeared to be, that ship had sailed a long time ago.

"Then instead of a promise, how about we make a deal?" Oobleck proposed.

"A deal?"

The words seemed foreign to the boy but he was intrigued nonetheless. That was good, Oobleck could work with that. "Indeed. Instead of a promise with nothing at stake, we will both promise something and the fulfillment of those promises will be dependent on if we can keep ours. This way we can both get what we want and not fear the promise being broken, lest we no longer get what we want. That being said, what is it that you want Jaune?"

He seemed stunned by the question, clearly never expecting to be asked his opinion on things. It was understandable to a degree. His life must have been dictated for him up until this point by an assortment of individuals, all of whom would claim to know what was best for him without actually asking him what it even was that he wanted.

After a few moments of silence, Jaune looked back at him with a resolve that again, a child like him should not have possessed. "I want to be strong. Stronger than my father. I want to be a great huntsman."

Only years of thorough debate allowed him to keep his features schooled at the answer. While a normal answer for most children raised in a huntsman's home, Jaune was anything but normal. Qrow's warnings rung in his ears and he tried to his best to keep his voice even. "Why is that?"

Jaune seemed to close in on himself before returning his focus to him. They shone with a strength unbefitting of one so young. Strength forged through his many trials no doubt. "To protect myself, and my friends."

While nothing changed on the outside, internally Oobleck felt the tightness in his chest vanish. Seeing those he loved disappear had left a mark on Jaune's soul, one of abandonment and one of fear. His desire made sense, as sad as the reality was. "Then to do that you would need to learn how to be a huntsman, both physically and mentally. I am uniquely qualified to assist you in both areas. I have trained huntsman for years and will continue to do so as long as I am able."

Oobleck let the words sink in and when he felt Jaune understood fully, he proposed his deal. "My deal is as follows. I will train you, both in your body and mind on how to be a huntsman to the best of my abilities. In return, you will become my adoptive son and take in all that I can teach you. What you do with that knowledge will be up to you, but you must at least try to learn things that don't necessarily help you become a huntsman as they will help you grow as a person, do we have a deal?"

He could practically see the gears turning in Jaune's head as he thought over the deal. Perhaps he didn't fully understand it but Jaune seemed get enough to know what was at stake. All things considered, it was a fantastic deal for Jaune, the only downside was that he would have to put his trust into him, something that Oobleck honestly didn't know if Jaune could do.

More minutes drifted by but Oobleck remained silent, he wouldn't pressure Jaune to make such a decision. If he chose to decline it then he would do what he needed to do, but until then he would give him as much time as he needed.

It seemed however that he had made his choice, his eyes giving away the answer before he even spoke. Before they were nothing but cold and angry, now however, he dared say a new emotion had filled the void, one of hope. "I'm not your son, no one can replace my dad. But I'll come with you. Train me to be a huntsman!"

Oobleck smiled at Jaune's words. The small concession would mean little in the long run, what was important was that Jaune was willing to put his trust in him. He had feared that he may have been past that point but since he was not, he wasn't beyond helping heal.

He had to admit, this meeting was nothing like he had anticipated. It was more like his interview with Glynda for his position here at Beacon than an adoption meeting. Regardless, Jaune had defied all of his expectations, for better or worse and only one thing was certain in his mind. While the future may be challenging, it would most certainly not be boring.

Such thoughts were pointless now however, their paths had been laid before them and all that was left was to take the first step.

He rose from his seat and motioned for Jaune to do the same, the boy confused but complaint all the same. "Well then, shall we begin?"

* * *

 **And there we have it. Jaune has been officially adopted and the intro arc of this story comes to a close. Things will start picking up now as we start building to the main points of this story. It's going to be a wild ride.**

 **Now as for my longer than anticipated absence, well you would be surprised just how much time and effort it requires to change one's profession. That being said, I still plan on working on my stories, just sometimes it'll take a little bit as real life takes over. And for those waiting on my other stories, they're definitely coming, just again be patient with me.**

 **That's it for now, hopefully you enjoyed and have a hopefully happy new year!**


	5. Tit for Tat

**Hello everyone! Back again after a longer than planned absence. I'll try to make sure the next few chapters don't have nearly as long of a waiting time. Here's hoping life doesn't butt in to ruin that.**

 **So, we're moving right along now, we're going to see some familiar faces and the plot is going to start picking up quite a bit now that we're past the introduction. For those that are concerned about it, we'll be in Beacon before ya know it.**

 **Chapter 5: Tit for Tat**

* * *

"Another set?"

Glass figures clinked against the board while the two occupants of the room reset the game. Jaune said nothing but his eyes spoke of nothing but frustration and anger, blue orbs glaring at the board.

A lanky arm reached out and moved a center pawn forward, taking prime real estate in the middle of the 'battlefield'. An undiscernible noise made its way out of the boy's throat, lost somewhere between a growl and a groan. It wasn't surprising in the slightest, Jaune had seen the same move made a hundred times by now and yet he hadn't found a way around it.

Oobleck had to wonder if it would take a hundred more times before Jaune would take a new approach to his strategy. The boy moved predictably, matching the opening move with a pawn of his own, the two pieces now locked in an eternal stalemate. He had to resist the urge to sigh but decided against his normal opening.

He doubted Jaune would fare any better than the last match, and beating him in the exact same way wouldn't serve any purpose now. The boy was already frustrated after losing so often, not that he would voice such concerns. No, he was far too disciplined for that. Perhaps that wasn't quite the right word. Prideful may be a better term to be applied to the boy.

Pride in his family name and the weight of one's own words defined the boy. Even if he wanted nothing more than to throw the board away and storm off, which he clearly did by the look on his face, he wouldn't, no matter how many times he lost. Jaune had made a deal and as long as he received what was promised he would deliver on his end.

It was an admirable trait for one so young but even Jaune had his limits. Oobleck had little doubt that crushing Jaune in the usual manner would send him over the proverbial edge. Perhaps a different approach to this game would be more fruitful.

Oobleck moved a pawn to the side of the previous one, angling his position to the outside but more importantly putting it in direct danger of Jaune's own pawn. The boy's eyes lit up at the mistake. They darted between the board and Oobleck's face, confusion clear as day. But Jaune could not find any trap or hidden attack avenue and hesitantly took the piece to which Oobleck had no recourse for.

And so, the match progressed with Jaune having the rare piece advantage to which he tried to utilize to the fullest, trading whenever he could. But sadly, for all of his early game success, the board seemed to flip on itself as Oobleck, piece by piece, decimated Jaune's forces. It didn't take long for Jaune to realize that he had been completely outmaneuvered, losing more of his backline while his pawns were trapped in their eternal head to head struggle. Eventually little remained of his pieces and with a put off sigh he knocked his own king over.

"I still can't beat you. I thought I had you when you messed up early."

Oobleck tried to hide the smirk that came to his lips, truly he did. Despite Jaune's initial protests about learning the game, the boy had picked up on its finer nuances relatively quickly and had quite the competitive streak in him. Though he supposed it was only natural, Jaune did not enjoy losing, regardless of the situation or activity. "Oh, did I make a mistake? I don't seem to recall having made any, especially so early on."

"You did, with the pawn on like your second turn. It was a free piece, you taught me that you should never give away free pieces but you did. Maybe you're getting rusty, old man."

He let the old man comment slide, more than ready for the taunt. But just because he would let it slide would not mean it would be forgotten. He would show Jaune just how old he was during their next spar. "Indeed, I did, and I'm glad to see you're remembering what I'm teaching you. That said, do you really think that I made that mistake? Something so obvious and blatant that even a rank amateur could see?"

Uncertainty washed over the blond's face, his eyes roaming over the scattered pieces before returning to meet Oobleck's gaze. "I… I wasn't sure. I thought it was too good to be true but I couldn't see any way for you to hit me back. And you didn't! You did make a mistake."

"Did I? I don't believe I did. I may have sacrificed a piece without taking one in return but I acquired something far more powerful, positioning. The Queen's Gambit is a favorite opening of a friend of mine, a strategy that sacrifices pieces for fast expansion of forces to later dominate the game. Did you notice how quickly the landscape changed once my pieces were in position?"

Jaune's head drooped at Oobleck's words, no doubt connecting the dots and realizing his early game successes weren't quite as successful as he once thought. "Ah, I see…"

Crushing Jaune's spirit wasn't what he was after however, despite how easy it was. No, what Oobleck wanted was always something far more difficult to impart, knowledge. "Jaune, do you know why we play this game every so often?"

Jaune's head perked up at the question, a small smile coming to his lips. "Because you can't beat Ozpin and you need someone to practice on?"

Oobleck's face was covered in a rare flush but was quickly replaced by a scowl, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses. "Cute, but not quite. Predators will teach their young how to hunt by playing with them. They impart invaluable lessons onto their offspring through these games and human's do much the same. In this instance, chess is a game of patience and strategy. Reading an opponent's moves and motivations so one can obtain victory."

Continuing, he gestured to the board. "Victory here merely gives one bragging rights, but if you apply these lessons to things outside of chess, victory could entail saving the lives of those you care about or bringing dangerous criminals to justice."

He knew he had Jaune's attention with the last sentence. Those blue orbs went from disinterested to a sharp focus in the span of a second. As loathe as he was to bring up such things, it was always a sure-fire way to make Jaune pay attention. The boy was motivated, more motivated than anyone his age had any right to be. He wanted to be a paragon of justice, someone that could protect not only himself but those around him.

Perhaps a bit foolish and naïve, but only when coming out of the mouth of a normal child. Jaune was anything but normal; circumstance had made sure of that. When he spoke those words, he meant every word of it and knew the full ramifications of said words. Which led him to absorb everything he could in relation to fulfilling that dream.

"You must understand Jaune, not everything will be as obvious as losing a piece for another piece. The purpose of a trap is that once it's sprung, it's too late for the victim to react. You must always be thinking ahead, trying to understand and figure out what it is the other person is doing or wants. No one does anything in this world for nothing. If you understand what motivates an individual you can anticipate what they will do. Everyone is self-interested, everyone."

"But more directly speaking here, if you are in combat against a superior opponent and they make a mistake that is too good to be true, it likely is. Do not fall into their trap. Do you understand?"

Jaune nodded his head vigorously, a smile on his face as he moved to set the board up for another match. Oobleck smiled as well, something that was becoming more commonplace with each passing day.

A series of knocks interrupted the two, Jaune pausing and turning to look at his adopted father. Oobleck in turn could only raise an eyebrow at the unannounced visitor. "Well, what are you waiting for? Are you going to greet our guest?"

Not needing to be told twice, Jaune leapt from his chair and scurried towards the door. Oobleck could only smile as he watched him go. It was something of a habit as of late. He had always enjoyed teaching and nothing was more rewarding than someone taking those lessons to heart. With Jaune, that sense of pride somehow became something more, something he couldn't quite place. He found himself more invested than ever before and when Jaune would accomplish something he felt like he had done much the same. It was a fascinating phenomenon that he planned to research in its entirety.

Such thoughts would have to wait however. It didn't take long for Jaune to return, albeit at a much more reserved pace than when he left. His attention was taken by the person accompanying him however, a very noticeable flush on the young boy's cheeks. Oobleck couldn't help but smirk at his adoptive son while he spoke to one of his colleagues.

To her credit, Glynda's expression was far more inviting than it normally was. The stone-faced mistress of Beacon was known for her stern nature and unyielding force of will. Here however, or at least in Jaune's presence, she held a soft visage, one of patience and interest. If only her students could see her now, well they would faint from shock. Of that he had little doubt. Even he was taken aback with how different she acted around Jaune.

"Ah, Glynda. A pleasant surprise. Or at least I hope it is, I didn't miss any calls or messages, did I?"

She rolled her eyes at his comment, letting Jaune lead her fully into the small living area. "No, for once you've been rather prudent to respond on time. Something I wish Peter would take up as well, though you would have a better chance at him giving up his Grimm hunts."

He chuckled at the comment, all too familiar with her dry humor. "Indeed. Old dogs and new tricks and all that. Please, take a seat. Jaune, why don't you get us some refreshments? Red tea is still your favorite, correct?"

She took the offered seat, one leg crossed over the other as she sunk into the surprisingly comfortable cushioned chair across from him. "Thank you, Bart. And yes, if you have some I would love a cup."

Jaune scrambled out of the room and the distinctive noise of dishware clicking against one another could be heard. Glynda's smile stayed on her face, her eyes following the small ruckus being made in the kitchen. "He seems to be adjusting well. Far better than I dared hope. I'll admit when you first agreed to this I was concerned. I believe we all were."

Oobleck merely smiled at the comment, not at all offended by their lack of faith. "None more so than I, I'm afraid. Raising a child is no small task. Thankfully, I was able to skip over some of the messier stages of his upbringing. But Jaune is adapting far better than I could have hoped for. Everything isn't perfect but we have reached an agreement of sorts. He's more mature than even I expected and I'll admit it's made this entire transition go far smoother. Though that isn't to say he doesn't act out every now and then."

The clattering of dishes coming closer stopped the conversation, Jaune reappearing not a moment later with a full set of tea cups and a kettle on a tray. He placed the silverware on the small coffee table next to the chess set and moved to try and pour the tea. He was stopped by Glynda who gave him a small smile. "Allow me, I would hate for you to have to do everything."

She poured two cups of tea, Oobleck refusing in favor of the coffee still fresh in his mug. Glynda claimed hers and took a quick sip, the warm fluid soothing her throat. "Ah, I do love tea. I can't comprehend how you and Ozpin prefer coffee. It makes no sense."

This time Oobleck did let out a short bark of laughter, the long-time debate having been brought up hundreds of times before. "Don't bring up that dead horse. We'll be here for hours if you do. Which while not an unpleasant idea, I'm sure you don't have the time. To what do we owe the pleasure for your visit?"

Her smile faded slightly, the markings of an irritated expression slowly spread across her face. "Sadly, it's not as pleasant as I would hope. I'm in Vale on business and I thought I would just stop by to see how you both are doing. I don't get out to Vale very often during the semester. There's far too much to be done at Beacon."

Even more so now that he was on a temporary leave of absence. The comment was left unsaid, but he was more than aware of the circumstances he had left behind. He had offered to continue teaching after adopting Jaune but both Glynda and the Headmaster wouldn't have it. They were adamant that if he were to do this he would need to give his full attention to Jaune, at least for some time and while he couldn't disagree with their logic, he hated to leave them with his share of work. He had no doubt that most of it fell to Glynda, the poor woman was overworked as it was and he couldn't see Ozpin subbing in to take over his role as the academy's history professor and treasurer.

"At least the semester is coming to a close is it not? The finals should be this week and then a month off, well, not off but you know what I mean." Oobleck commented with a sympathetic smile.

The small smile that worked its way to her lips said she did. "Yes, believe me I'm looking forward to the slightly smaller workload that is to come. If only there wasn't that infernal fundraiser being held tonight. I know how necessary they are for Beacon but I just can't stand them. Half those people only come to show off how much money they have. And don't get me started on our guest of honor. I can already feel a headache coming on."

He couldn't help but chuckle at his colleague. Those events could be brutal for even the most sociable among them. Ozpin was the only one that didn't seem bothered by them but it was hard to tell if that was more his impenetrable poker face or if he actually enjoyed them. Some things about that man were impossible to discern.

"I do not envy you my friend, these things have a tendency to drag on. Give my condolences to Ozpin and heaven forbid Peter if he's going."

The confused look she gave him sent a shiver of worry through him. The feeling only intensified with her next few words. "Peter isn't going tonight, why would he when you volunteered? You do remember promising to attend the fundraiser tonight, don't you? You kept requesting to help out the academy in some way and Ozpin thought this would be a perfect way for you to contribute."

He had to stop himself from swallowing the nervous lump that formed in his throat. He vaguely remembered sending those emails some time ago. Had he really agreed to such a thing? Judging by the growing look of annoyance of Glynda's face he most certainly had. With how her frown deepened with each passing second, he doubted she would allow him to wiggle out of it now. If he didn't act quickly he knew he would be facing the entirety of her wrath. He was already in enough trouble as it was, the best he could do now was prevent as much collateral damage as possible. Speaking of…

"Jaune, perhaps you should start working on your forms. I'll join you shortly after I finish up with Glynda. No need for both of us to be bored by work matters."

Jaune hesitated, stuck between wanting to stay and his desire to train. As expected, the boy eventually relented and offered a short farewell before dashing to his room. It hadn't taken Oobleck long to figure out that Jaune enjoyed the physical aspect of his training far more than any other and little could deter him from it.

Still, he waited until he heard a door slam shut before he turned back to his fellow educator, a small smile on his lips. "He fancies you."

The small glare she sent him wasn't the expression he was hoping for. "Don't you dare try to change the subject. Gods, you're just as bad as ever. I should have known it was too good to be true." Glynda sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, no doubt trying to prevent the headache that was bound to come. "You're a brilliant educator Bartholomew but I swear your organizational skills are on par with Ozpin's. Tell me, do you even know what fundraiser is being held tonight?"

With a shake of his head he confirmed the beleaguered woman's assumptions. There was no point in trying to lie at this point.

With another shake of her head she gave him a disapproving glare. "It's our annual Gala and this year we're going to have some very important potential donors attending. The Schnee Dust Company is even sponsoring the entire event, how could you forget? This is vital to Beacon's continued functionality, even more so given that the council has been pushing back on the extra funding Ozpin has requested for expansion."

That was the question, wasn't it? How could he have forgotten something so important? Even at his worst he had always been able to keep his schedule intact and in mind. As someone who had balanced Beacon's accounts for a decade he knew more than most just how important the Gala was.

Despite what most in the Kingdom thought, the council of Vale didn't provide the entire budget for Beacon, far from it in fact. Donations accounted for more than fifty percent of the annual budget. People often times contributed to the school, their small donations coming in sporadically and while those were always appreciated, even those contributions didn't come close to funding the school.

Sadly, a large part of their budget came in the form of donations from large corporations across all of Remnant. While most companies tended to stick to giving to charities and non-profits within their own kingdom and communities, huntsman academies transcended that thought process. Few things could unite the world like the threat of the Grimm did. This often led to large corporations not only donating towards the school in their kingdom, but to all schools.

Sadly, that generosity was rarely genuine. There were plenty of benefits for those that donated, be it tax relief, positive PR or even trying to buy the favor of huntsman before they entered the real world. It was never too early to try and build one's contacts after all. Who knew when you might need an aggressive expansion on the frontier and needed strong enough people to protect it?

But just because it benefited these companies to donate to the school didn't necessarily mean that they would. Those that made these decisions tended to have egos to match the size of their pocket books and if they weren't catered to, they may choose to go elsewhere with their donations.

So, Beacon would hold several of these events a year and put on a show for all those that attended, all in the hopes to attract more businesses to help fund their student's development. It was a necessary evil and one that they suffered through time and time again. All for the betterment of their students and for the continued survival of humanity.

Tonight's event however was more important than any of the other smaller events, perhaps even put together. The annual Gala brought not only wealthy individuals from across the planet, but other dignitaries as well. Influential people from every facet of life would be coming. Politicians, military leaders, even some celebrities were known to attend from time to time.

It went without saying that such an event had a lot riding on it. It was critical that Beacon put its best foot forward. One could not overstate the importance of this event.

And he had completely forgotten about it. Not only that, he had forgot that he had volunteered to participate in the infernal thing. He wasn't prepared in the slightest and that wasn't even considering what he was to do with Jaune. He couldn't possibly find someone to watch after the boy on such short notice. Not to mention he didn't even have any evening wear. This was already turning out to be a complete and utter disaster and the blasted party hadn't started yet.

Glynda let out a beleaguered sigh and rubbed the crown of her head. Taking a closer look at the poor woman, he noticed some signs that had been absent only a few minutes ago. Her entire body seemed to slump slightly, not enough to be noticed by the casual person but to one who had known her for years it was very stark to her normal posture. And while she hid it well, the faintest signs of rings around her eyes were noticeable. Again, barely so but they were most certainly there. What was most telling however was her eyes themselves. While they still held a firmness that she was well known for, they seemed lacking, as if the fire inside had been put out. Frankly speaking, she was exhausted.

Despite that, here she was, not only handling god knows how many things for Ozpin but even having to deal with the fallout of his own failings. She didn't deserve that, not with everything else she had on her plate. But perhaps it wasn't too late to rectify it and maybe even help ease her burdens, if only slightly.

"I'm sorry Glynda. It appears that taking care of Jaune has taken more of my attention than I had accounted for. But do not worry, I won't make you pick up my mess. After all, what kind of example would I be setting if I did such a thing? No, it just won't do. I'll be sure to be there tonight. Now I just need to find someone to watch after Jaune while I'm gone."

Glynda slowly opened her eyes and met his. He didn't avert his gaze or back down, knowing full well she what she was looking for. She found it soon after as a small smile etched itself onto her face. With another put upon sigh, she let herself fall deeper into the cushions.

"I'm sorry as well Bart. I feel like I've been working around the clock the last few months keeping Beacon together. I've been so preoccupied that I never bothered to double check with you about the event tonight. I had just assumed that you would remember. You have more than enough to deal with here, I shouldn't have taken out my frustrations on you."

Oobleck waved the apology off, the effort appreciated but completely unnecessary. "Let's just agree to put it behind us. Now isn't the time to be feel sorry for ourselves, we have work to do."

His words were followed by the soft sound of a chess piece gliding across the board. Glynda only raised an eyebrow in response before she let an exasperated sigh, shaking her head despite the small smile still on her face.

She moved a pawn forward to meet Oobleck's. "Indeed. I have much to do today aside from finishing any preparations for the party. Some arrangements for the new semester are being made and I must iron out the details with an Atlas tech company to see if your proposal is even possible."

Oobleck paused, his hand hovering over a knight before it moved to a pawn on the opposite side of the field. "Oh? I had thought that idea was dead and buried. What made you reconsider?"

Glynda didn't even look at the board as she made her next move. "Ozpin let Peter take over your position as history professor."

Genuine shock washed over his face. The surprise so heavy that he didn't even notice his rook in danger. "Oh dear."

It looked like Glynda had to suppress a shudder before she moved, taking a piece of Oobleck's rear guard. "Quite. As a result, we have decided to let you resume your lecturing next semester, though it will be done through video conferencing. That is, if they come down on the price to install it."

Oobleck's response was fast, almost expecting the play. "Well I can't say I envy the poor soul who will get in your path. I'm sure you'll manage."

The smirk on her face said she did as well. "The only problem is that I also need to stop and pick up a textbook order that Peter put in. It was through a local shop here in Vale and they aren't equipped to deliver it to Beacon." She paused while looking over the battlefield, sighing as she retreated. "There just aren't enough hours in the day."

Oobleck could sympathize with the statement. Even with not having to fulfill his commitments to Beacon currently, he never felt like he had a moments rest. Still he gave Glynda a calm smile, despite the fact that he just took an exposed bishop. "How very strange. Usually Peter doesn't even use a textbook, let alone one that isn't carried by one of our publishers."

Glynda's eyes narrowed at her quickly dwindling pieces before she turned her icy glare to him. She held it for all of ten seconds before flicking the crown of her king, the delicate piece rolling across the board. "If I wanted to play Ozpin I would've stayed at Beacon."

He couldn't stop the small chuckle that escaped his throat. He had wondered if she had noticed the similarity or not. "I'm sorry Glynda. Normally I detest this type of style, but Ozpin is infuriatingly skilled at this manner of play. I hope that by playing like him that I could find any openings. Sadly, I have not made much progress on that front."

Glynda held her gaze, whether her displeasure came from being used as a test dummy or from simply being reminded of the individual responsible for lumping her with even more work was yet to be seen. In hindsight, it may not have been the best move. Given how overworked she was and the man responsible for it, any reminder of Ozpin was likely to put her in a fool mood.

Perhaps he had pushed his luck too far on that front? Best to let it die a quick death and move on. "Well, it was still a good match, but I find myself curious about this text that Peter is using, do you know the author?"

Glynda's gaze remained for a few more seconds before sighing, clearly not finding it worth the effort to pursue the issue. "Unfortunately…" The blonde headmistress mumbled. At his questioning gaze she elaborated. "Peter published it himself, he merely used the bookstore's resources to get them all printed."

The silence that followed was deafening.

A few moments passed before Oobleck rebooted, a small smile on his face while he took a sip from his mug. "Oh, I'm sorry, I must have misheard you. For a second it sounded like you let Peter write and teach from his own book. How preposterous. Such a silly thought. Ludicrous even."

He searched Glynda's face for any sign that she was joking, any tell whatsoever that told him that she couldn't have been serious. But as minutes dragged by and the look of defeat remained on her face his own lost its color. "You can't be serious Glynda. How did this even get approved? What was wrong with the last book?"

He didn't mean to sound so incredulous, he truly didn't. Peter was a valued colleague and one of his best friends. He had nothing but respect for the long-time huntsman. But he also had his pride for his profession as an educator and any book written by Peter would be far from educational. The student's depended on them to impart _useful_ knowledge so that they could use it later in their lives.

Peter was quite effective at the practical aspect of being a huntsman, the problem fell in line with his theory, or rather lack thereof.

"Believe me, it wasn't my decision to make. Ozpin signed off on it without a second thought. I didn't even know about it until I saw the requisition forms."

He took the response for what it was. Knowing Ozpin, he probably hadn't even bothered to read the proposal. It was a trait with Ozpin that hadn't made much sense for a man in his position.

Ozpin was a mysterious individual, even for people that had known him for years. He came off as aloof for most things, even those that involved the inner workings of the school. But if that was Ozpin's true nature he would have never risen to such a position. Being the Headmaster of one of the four main academies was not something obtained on a whim. It took a lifetime of dedication, arduous training and a certain discipline that few possessed.

Frankly speaking, you simply could not become a Headmaster with the temperament that Ozpin extruded. That meant that either the man merely put on a persona for dealing with most things or that there were things on his plate that were so important that he couldn't be bothered with tiny details. Even details that pertained to the school's budget or one of his professors writing a fictitious story and teaching it as if it were fact.

Given how long he had known the man, he had to assume it was the latter. It made him wonder just what Ozpin was dealing with that occupied so much of his time that things such as this could easily slip through the cracks. Curiosities aside, there was little he could do to change the way the man ran Beacon. What he could do however was make sure the students didn't suffer from such lapses of attention.

"I see. This is… unexpected, to say least. I take it that you haven't had a chance to review the, uh, material?"

A shake of her head confirmed the worst and he let out a beleaguered sigh, much like Glynda had earlier. "Well, I suppose there is only one course of action to take then. Give me the order form and I'll pick up the order of books myself. I'll of course need to go through them, make changes and hopefully add beneficial information to them before returning to the store to have them republished. Hopefully I can convince Ozpin to cover the costs of the additional printing."

She raised a delicate eyebrow at the suggestion but the fact that she didn't instantly reject his proposal was promising. Getting the opportunity to do anything for Beacon in any official capacity was difficult as of late. Now however, it appeared that cracks too big to fill were becoming painfully obvious. So much so that even Glynda was willing to bend.

"Are you sure you can handle that, Bart? Teaching classes remotely is one thing but to edit an entire text, especially the one we're dealing with, is an exceptional time-consuming process. You'll only have a month to have it ready for classes next semester. That includes time for the book store to publish all the updates. You'll have three weeks at best."

Under any normal circumstances she would be correct. Most times professors of any school of thought would spend months going through a potential text. Verifying its usefulness, accuracy and how well it conveys the message to the reader. Developing lesson plans around said text would also take a significant amount of time. Luckily, these were all things that didn't apply to him.

"A monumental task for most no doubt. Thankfully I do not believe it to be as difficult as you think it will be. I'm not rewriting the book, far from it. I'll merely be adding what I can to it, filling in any confusing bits or clarifications. After all, it's Peter's class to teach, not mine. And despite what the students say, he does have useful information hidden in his stories, some are just more buried than others. I think I can manage to do that in the time allotted."

She regarded him with a measured look, her face belaying nothing as she considered his proposal. He could see the gears turning in her head before she gave him the faintest of smiles. From her skirt she withdrew a small piece of paper folded neatly upon itself and handed it to him.

He took it without a word and grimaced at the number of requested texts. What on Remnant was Peter going to do with two hundred copies? There weren't even that many students in all four years!

Glynda's soft voice pulled him from his own mind, her tone a mix of satisfied and amused. "Well, if you're so sure of yourself by all means. Maybe something good will come of this. At the very least it's one less thing I need to deal with today so for that I owe you."

An erratic beating came from her pocket and he could have sworn he heard a mumbled curse before she fished out her scroll. "Yes? What do you mean you need to move the meeting up by an hour? That's only twenty minutes from now. Yes. Yes. Alright, I understand. I'll be there."

The call ended as abruptly as it started. From the look on his friend's face he doubted she appreciated it. Her face had morphed into a fierce scowl and her eyes burned with the fire that he was so used to seeing on the woman.

Her eyes turned to him and softened somewhat. She released a breathless sigh before standing and straightening her skirt and blouse. "I'm sorry to cut this short but I'm afraid I must leave. Please let Jaune know I said goodbye."

He waved off her concern with a small laugh and rose to see her out. "Think nothing of it. Duty calls after all. I'll be sure to let Jaune know. It'll make his day."

He said the last bit with a bit of a smirk which only got him a roll of the eyes from his fellow huntress. "I'm sure it will. I suppose I'll be seeing you tonight. As for what to do with Jaune, you could always bring him along. You know it's not unusual for attendees to bring their children, there's no reason you can't do the same. It might even be good for him."

"Hmm, not a terrible idea. I'll have to find him formal wear for the night but that might be the best option. Though I do have my concerns with how he'll react to such a large crowd. I suppose I'll have to cross that bridge eventually however. I'll consider it."

A slight nod was all the answer he received, her emerald eyes now roving over her scroll, no doubt checking on some last second preparations for whatever meeting she had scheduled. "I'm sure he'll be fine Bart. Despite everything that's happened he appears to be doing well. I'll see you tonight. Goodbye."

He stepped to the side, pulling the door with him. As Glynda made her way through the opening his words stopped her. "Despite the pretense of your visit, it was rather enjoyable. I'm sure Jaune would agree as well. If possible, you should see if you are able to visit more often."

Her eyes moved from her scroll and regarded him with not quite suspicion but something he couldn't place. After a moment it was gone and replaced with a soft smile. "I'll see what I can do."

With that she was gone. He silently shut the door behind her and walked his way through the living room, grabbing his thermos along the way. He reached the yard in no time and watched as Jaune went through a various number of different swings. All variations that he had learned through his family's book.

A light sheen of sweat coated the boy's face and he couldn't help the same feeling from before swell up inside of him. Jaune's dedication was inspiring. The drive to better oneself was rare in one so young. It made him want to follow suit, to be better.

His hand touched the piece of paper Glynda had given him. He read over the order once more but focused instead on the actual store itself. Tukson's Book Trade. The name was unfamiliar but that wasn't too surprising, most of Beacon's books coming from large publishers from across Remnant. His eyes wandered back to Jaune. The boy's pace was unrelenting. Anyone his age probably would have given up a while ago, but it appeared the boy had stamina to match his shockingly large aura reserves.

Perhaps Glynda was right, maybe tonight's event would be good for Jaune. He had taken to heart what Qrow had told him about the boy. In private and in the presence of people he knew Jaune was very much a normal child. From the few times that he had taken him in public that case was quite the opposite.

He wasn't sure the extent of the damage caused by his tragic past, but it was something that he had avoided at all costs. He wanted to build a safe environment for Jaune. A place that he could open up and begin to heal. Though as a result Jaune was rather isolated from others his age.

While he wasn't keen on enrolling Jaune in a school given his unique circumstances, he needed to interact with others. Maybe this Gala was just what he needed. And a little stroll through Vale beforehand couldn't hurt either.

 **\\-\**

The city was as noisy as it always was whenever he came here. The first time Qrow had brought him to the city he hadn't paid any attention to what Vale was actually like. All he remembered was a constant buzzing of noise and activity. It didn't look like that was the exception to the rule, his eyes roaming over the cityscape as he followed Oobleck. People seemed to move with a dulled purpose as they went place to place. They rarely stopped to chat, only ever continuing on with whatever they needed to do.

Vale was nothing like his home. The village he had grown up in was quiet and peaceful. People moved about at their own pace, never having to rush to be somewhere. You would greet and talk to those you ran into on the street and there was never an unfamiliar face.

An adult brushed past his side, the edge of the man's leg striking his shoulder. He didn't cry out in pain but the action forced him to stumble and catch himself on Oobleck's pant leg. Angry blue eyes turned towards the retreating figure, a dull gray suit that moved through the throngs of people, never once stopping to check on who he had hit.

"Are you alright Jaune?"

Jaune pulled his gaze away from the person that had crashed into him, having lost the man in the crowds. Oobleck was bent over slightly, his face covered with concern. He hated it when Oobleck looked at him like that, as if he was too weak to look after himself. If Oobleck thought he was too weak he may pull back on their training, or even worse, completely end it.

That was something he couldn't allow to happen. Oobleck had been many things over the past few months, some of them he didn't fully understand. Despite that, he couldn't deny Oobleck's ability or strength. Jaune had never been able to spare with his father but he could imagine it was something similar to his fights with Oobleck.

The man was unrelenting and drove for perfection. He didn't pull his punches and he never let anything slide past his attention. If a form was off he would point it out. If he showed an opening during a spare he would exploit it. Oobleck never even let him win at any of the games they would play.

It was the opposite with his family, especially his sisters. Whenever they played games he knew they let him win. Before it had made him angry, it made him think that he wasn't good enough for them to try against.

Now though? Gods he missed them. He would give anything for them to 'lose' to him again. To see them smile and giggle when he would pout and point it out. Calling him silly and rubbing his hair a little too roughly. He felt his eyes begin to water at the thought and quickly killed it. They were gone, taken by a monster and they were never coming back

In all honesty he preferred Oobleck's method. He had told Oobleck he didn't want any special treatment in their training sessions and the man had taken his request to heart.

It was one of the reasons why he gave it his all no matter what they were doing. He hated the lessons Oobleck would teach him. He didn't care for math; the numbers were boring and mostly useless. History left him feeling uneasy. Oobleck clearly loved the subject but it didn't interest him at all. At times it even annoyed him whenever they covered anything involving the Great War.

But he put up with all of it and more than that, he tried his best to learn it. Oobleck had been good on his word and given him his full attention while they were training. He knew it would be insulting if he did anything other than give his all back for things Oobleck wanted. More than that however, he had given his word as well and that was something he wasn't prepared to break.

Oobleck was still watching him and with a quick smile he waved off the older man's concern, letting go of his pant leg and walking forward to try and move past what had happened. "I'm fine! He just caught me by surprise, that's all. Let's keep going."

Oobleck watched him go, his eyes clearly following him but he couldn't make out what the man was thinking. He hated those stupid glasses. They were so thick and reflected light in a way that he couldn't see Oobleck's eyes. It made it impossible to tell what the he was thinking.

After a moment Oobleck shook his head and easily caught up to him, a small smile coming to his face. "Well then, if you're as fine as you say then you shouldn't have any problem carrying your suit. Here."

Jaune accepted the bag with a grumble, the clothes folding over awkwardly in his arms. "Tell me why I have to go to this tonight? Can't I stay at the house and train?"

He refused to call the house he lived in his home. It was something that he refused to do, even though he knew it bothered Oobleck. There were just some things that he couldn't do, even with everything Oobleck had provided. His home was in Aerilon, not the house he lived in currently.

Oobleck didn't seem to mind the question, in fact he laughed at it which only made Jaune pout further. "As I have said countless times already, I must attend and I don't want to leave you home alone incase something happens. And you never know, you may enjoy it."

Jaune couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the statement. "Will I get to train while I'm there?"

"Heh, no, I do not believe you will."

"Then it'll be boring." Jaune responded in a matter of fact way.

He knew that Oobleck didn't appreciate his view on the event but he couldn't help it. He'd seen 'parties' like what Oobleck had described was going to be held tonight. There was nothing fun about it. All it was were people dressing up and talking about stupid things. There were no games or fights or anything, just talking. Not to mention the suit that Oobleck made him try on was tight and uncomfortable. He couldn't move at all in that thing!

He spared a glance at his… caretaker? After all these months he still didn't know what to call Oobleck. He wasn't going to call the man his father, adoptive or otherwise. Only his real dad deserved to be called that. But he could admit that he was more than anyone else that had looked after him.

The orphanage looked at him as a troubled child that they put up with because they hoped it would be a temporary thing. Qrow had treated him like a burden and it was obvious to even him that Qrow couldn't wait to get rid of him. Oobleck on the other hand never made him feel that way.

Nothing ever felt forced between them. Sure, things were awkward in the beginning and they still were every now and then but it wasn't like when he was with Qrow. Oobleck never acted like he wished Jaune wasn't there. He never acted like life would be easier if Jaune wasn't around. There were even times where Oobleck actually seemed to care about him.

But that was the thing, it _seemed_ like Oobleck cared. It didn't make sense as to why the man would care. He had seen potential adopters come and go from the orphanage and they all had their reasons for wanting to adopt. He had also seen what happened when they didn't get what they wanted from the child they adopted, the poor soul being dropped back off more broken than when they left. Sometimes even physically.

Oobleck had said it himself earlier. Everyone was self-interested and that made sense. If they didn't get something out of a deal then they wouldn't go through with it. For everything that Oobleck had agreed to and delivered on, he didn't seem to get anything in return. Jaune received huntsman training, good training too. At the same time what did Oobleck get? Oobleck got to give him lessons on things he couldn't care less about and whatever minor things Oobleck could come up with.

It didn't make any sense. Oobleck didn't get anything out of their deal. But he never raised any concerns and acted like he wanted to raise him. Nothing of it made any sense.

But did it have to? He got what he wanted. A safe place to live, food, and huntsman training. Oobleck never hurt him or mistreated him so what did it matter if Oobleck was getting nothing out of their deal? He would take full advantage of this as long as it lasted and when it ended he would move on. He had survived on his own before and he could do so again.

"I apologize Jaune but this isn't something that is negotiable. I would like you to try your best to make some friends at the party tonight. There should be plenty of kids your age to speak to, many of which with a similar dream of being a huntsman. Try to keep an open mind."

Jaune couldn't help but scoff at that. He doubted he would meet anyone like him at the party. How could he? Beacon was like a castle in the fairy tales his mom would read him. The people that would come to this party would be used to these kinds of parties. People with money, people that didn't suffer the kind of problems he had faced. There wouldn't be anyone like Ren or Nora at this party. The entire thing was a waste of time.

Oobleck seemed to read the thoughts running through his mind, not that it would've been hard given his vocal dislike of the entire situation. The man hummed in thought, something that he did quite often whenever he wasn't quite sure what to do. It only lasted a few seconds before a smirk grew on the older man's face. The look instantly put him on edge, he knew what that smirk meant.

"Then why don't we make it worth your while? If you give an honest attempt at making friends and interacting with your peers at tonight's party then I'll begin teaching you the basics of aura manipulation. If you can prove to me that you can handle this then I won't have any reservations about increasing your training."

Jaune stumbled at the deal, not at all ready for it. There was one thing he wanted to learn more than anything else and it was to manipulate his aura like his father had. It was also the one thing that Oobleck refused to instruct him on. He claimed that the technique was too advanced for someone his age. That he was more likely to hurt himself or someone around him than make any progress with the ability.

The entire Arc fighting style revolved around using their massive aura reserves to the fullest. The book had said because of how much aura the Arc's had, they could use their aura in ways that other people couldn't. Everyone thought the Arc semblance was their use of aura as an external weapon or shield. But it wasn't that, anyone could do the things that were in his family's book. All they needed was the aura reserves. But the thing was, almost no one had their kind of reserves. That was the true semblance of the Arc family.

Jaune desperately wanted to learn how to do the things he had seen his father do. If he could do that, use that kind of power, no one could hurt him again, not even the demon with red hair.

And all he had to do was talk to other people? It seemed too good to be true. Oobleck's words from earlier echoed in his head. Was it too good to be true? What was Oobleck getting out of it? He seemed so against the idea in the past, why was this event worth such a change?

Nothing came to his mind. Nothing explained why Oobleck wanted him to make friends so much as to offer up this training. But just like before, did it really matter? As long as he got the training he wanted he didn't care what he had to do. Making friends wasn't even that difficult. He made friends with Ren and Nora almost instantly, he was sure that he could do it with someone at the party.

"So Jaune, what do you say?"

Not seeing what he had to lose, he smiled at the much older man and nodded. "Okay! But you better keep your end of the deal!"

Oobleck chuckled at his words, amused by the enthusiasm if nothing else. He stopped in his walk, the sudden change causing Jaune to nearly trip on his own feet. "And when have I ever not? And here we are, Tukson's Book Trade: Home to every Book under the Sun. Quite the boast if I say so myself."

Jaune took in the building for all that it was. The store was unassuming and if Oobleck hadn't been seeking it in the first place he was sure he would've never even registered the place. The sign was just large piece of wood, not even decorated save the name of the shop. The walls to the building were a dull gray and the windows were tinted in a way that he couldn't see inside.

A bell chimed as they moved through the doorway. The inside was even more dull than the outside if that was even possible. Six bookshelves decorated the small shop, filled to the brim with countless texts. Off to the side were a few glass cases and boxes piled beneath those.

The room itself was dimly lit, more than one light having gone out. The air was musty, not necessarily in an uncomfortable way but in one that he wasn't used to. Jaune quietly followed Oobleck to the back of the store where a counter sat. A dozen books were scattered across the desk. Some were open with markers in them while a few were stacked neatly to the side.

A frown found its way onto Jaune's face as he looked around the room. There wasn't anyone here. Who would leave their shop open if they weren't here?

Oobleck didn't seem at all bothered by the strangeness and rapped a small bell placed near the register. A few seconds went by and nothing happened. Oobleck again hit the small metal piece and waited a few seconds.

"I'll be right there! Just wrapping up an order quick!"

The voice was deep but friendly, if not a little hoarse. It only took a minute before the owner of said voice made their way out from the back room. He was a tall man, not quite as tall as Oobleck but certainly taller than most. He had jet black hair that was buzzed short with equally black side burns running down either side of his face. The man's broad shoulders were barely contained by the tight shirt he was wearing, all the more pronounced due to him carrying a heavy looking box.

Despite its size, he placed it delicately on the floor and turned to them with a smile despite the sweat rolling down his face. "Sorry about that, there was an order that needed to be finished for today. How can I help you?"

Despite the man's size and rough appearance, his smile was easy going and genuine. Even so Jaune couldn't help but feel put off whenever he looked at the man. It was something in the man's eyes, something primal that he didn't understand.

Oobleck seemed uneasy as well, though his eyes were focused on the box on the floor instead of the man behind the counter. "It's no trouble. Tukson I presume?

The man, Tukson, laughed at the question. "Got it in one. Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade, home to every book under the sun. What can I do for you?"

"I'm actually here to pick up an order for Beacon Academy." Oobleck gestured to the large box on the floor behind the man. "That by chance wouldn't be the order, would it?"

The man smiled seemed to broaden and his chest puffed out slightly. "As requested, got it all done in short order. I'm sure you'll be happy with the quality."

Oobleck's smile didn't quite reach his eyes, the pastel haired man giving a nervous shuffle before he adjusted his glasses. "I'm sure we will. Unfortunately, we are going to have to make some changes to the order itself. I hope that won't be too much trouble."

The man's eyes narrowed, the hazel orbs shining dangerously as he leaned against the counter. His long sleeve shirt was pushed up to reveal patches of hair, almost like fur, on his forearms. Jaune could've sworn that hair was standing up like that of a cat. "What kind of changes? The order is already done."

The easy going feeling the man had previously given off wasn't anywhere to be found, replaced with an aura of tension. He noticed the smaller things that weren't there before. A tensing in the man's overly hairy but muscular arms. His sharpened eyes. Were Tukson's nails growing longer?

Jaune narrowed in on the last fact and panic started to fill him. He wasn't imaging it, Tukson's nails were growing, if only slightly. They were almost claw-like.

His breathes came in shallow and labored, his own body tensing to match Tukson's. What could he do? He didn't have his weapon here. He couldn't run away, Tukson was so much bigger than him. His muscles were massive, like he could physically tear him apart.

"Jaune, why not look for something that you might like? I saw some comics in the front. Why not give them a once over?"

The voice shocked him out of his stupor, shaky blue eyes peeled themselves off of the shop owner, who's expression had changed from one of rage to concern directed at him of all people. Wasn't he just about to attack them?

He felt Oobleck's hands on his own and slowly removed them from the older man's pants leg. When had he grabbed onto Oobleck? He didn't even notice.

"It's alright Jaune, I just need to discuss some business with Tukson. It'll be quite boring I'm sure. Go up front while I finish up here."

Oobleck was eye level with him now and it was one of the rare times that the man's glasses didn't obscure his eyes. They were full of worry and something else, something he had seen in his dad countless times in Aerilon.

It was enough to get his hands to stop shaking. This wasn't Aerilon, Tukson wasn't one of those monsters in the white masks. He tried to force himself to believe Oobleck's words. They were only going to talk about business or money or something.

With a silent gulp, Jaune met Oobleck's eyes and gave a nod with a shaky response. "O-okay."

He didn't really care much for reading but he had seen comics a few times back in Aerilon. He might find something he liked. Regardless of if he found something or not wasn't what mattered. Oobleck didn't want him around when he was talking to the hairy man, just like when he spoke with Glynda earlier. Whenever Oobleck wanted to talk about 'business', he would send him away.

Truth be told, he didn't want to be anywhere near Tukson. It didn't matter what Oobleck had tried to teach him over the last few months. He knew what kind of monster's faunus were, even if they were good at tricking other people.

But Oobleck would be fine. He was the strongest person he had ever met. But his father had been strong too…

He banished such thoughts from his mind. They were only going to talk about books. Just boring business stuff. He convinced himself of that as he moved through the bookshelves until he was by the glass cases he had seen when he entered. He couldn't see Oobleck or Tukson but their voices carried throughout the small store. He caught a few words, something about payment, services rendered and some other things he didn't understand. Yep, just business things, boring business things.

It relaxed him somewhat, not hearing any sounds of battle but just simple words. It allowed him to focus on the comics instead, a small smile coming to his face as he looked through his options. Despite the small size of the bookstore itself, Tukson had a lot of comics. He didn't recognize any of them but that didn't matter and he picked one up and opened it.

The title was something about forging but the cover didn't look anything like the title described. It had a man in shining silver armor with a sword held out in an awesome pose. He opened it with a smile on his face, his eyes roving over the images. The human man stood in a full set of armor, set against a horde of monsters, a smirk plastered on his face despite the overwhelming odds before him. His only ally was a woman with black hair that was shrouded in black and purple cloth, a dagger held in each hand.

The ring of the store bell brought him out of the story, his blue orbs locking onto the new people walking in. One was a man not that much shorter than Oobleck who had a shade of blond hair darker than his own. The man looked a mess, his clothes completely disheveled, his blue eyes were bloodshot and it looked like his hair hadn't seen a comb in weeks.

Next to him stood a bundle of red, grasping desperately to his pant leg. The person, for it could only be one, barely reached his waist and was completely covered by the blood red cloak they wore. The man patted the shorter person's head and whispered something that Jaune couldn't quite catch.

The cloak shook slightly, a response equally quiet to the question the blond man had said. It clung to the man tighter, almost like it was trying to fuse with him. He didn't get angry with the action, he only chuckled and gently peeled the bundle of red off of him and slowly moved them both over to the comics.

Jaune tried to look like he wasn't paying attention to them, bringing the comic up to cover his face but not obscure his full vision. They stopped on the other side of the glass case, the blond man kneeling to grab a comic and put it in the girl's pale hands.

And it was a girl, one or two years younger than himself. She had a round face with black hair that was tipped red at the ends. He couldn't tell anything else about the girl as the red cloak she wore shrouded the rest of her body from view. Only now did he realize that the piece of clothing was far too big for her as the ends of it dragged across the ground.

"Now Ruby, just stay here and try to find something you like. I'll be right back. I just need to talk to Tukson about an order for Signal. Can you be a good girl for daddy and do that?"

The girl didn't respond with words, her silver eyes shining and she nodded tentatively. The man smiled at the action and rubbed her head affectionately before walking towards the front of the room. He watched those silver orbs trail the back of the man until he was out of sight. The second she did lose sight of him, her vision shifted suddenly, eyes staring directly into his.

He looked away as fast as he could but the burning of his cheeks revealed his guilt. He had been caught staring and from the look on her face she didn't like it one bit. He swallowed and spared a glance back at the girl. Thankfully she wasn't watching him anymore, her attention taken by the comic her father had put in her hands. He did notice that her cheeks were flushed in the same way his were. Yeah, she definitely noticed him staring.

He tried reading the story in his hands again but he couldn't focus with the girl next to him. Should he apologize? Should he say anything at all? How much longer was Oobleck going to take?

Wait, hadn't Oobleck wanted him to try and make friends? Wasn't that the point for taking him to the party? Maybe if he could show Oobleck he could make friends then he wouldn't have to waste his time at Beacon tonight. Yes, Oobleck would have to let him stay at the house if he could prove he had made a friend.

He looked at the girl again and found she was looking at him as well, her eyes widening at being caught and returning to the pages in front of her. Her cheeks were doing their best to match the girl's hood. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped himself, not sure how to start the conversation.

He was never good at making friends back at Aerilon. He had his sister's and never needed to make any friends except those that he was forced to make at school. Even those weren't really friends. Sure, he knew them and could be around them but they never talked more than they needed to and he never hung out with them outside of class.

Even Ren and Nora had kind of just taken him in. They saved him from the Grimm and that was that. They were best friends from that moment onward. So, unless a Grimm burst through the door, that option probably wasn't available here. Did he just say hi? That sounded so lame though.

Oh great, she was looking at him again, this time pointedly at his still open mouth. Just say something! "Uh… hi?"

Gods that sounded even worse than he thought it would. Why did he make it sound like a question? The girl must have thought he was a weirdo with how she 'eepd' at his question/greeting and turn away from him.

"My name's Jaune, what's your name?"

What was it that Oobleck had said before? In for a Lien? He really couldn't make it worse so what did he have to lose? Maybe he could still make friends with the overly quiet girl.

Said girl brought her silver eyes back to his but refused to say anything. He could tell she was nervous but in truth so was he. Making friends wasn't something he was good at, despite his earlier thoughts. Maybe Oobleck was onto something with this deal?

"Umm… Do you like comics?"

Another stupid question. Of course, she liked comics, her dad left her here to find something she liked. He didn't take her over to the kid's books. She must have thought he was as stupid as he was weird, those silver eyes watching him intently. Despite that she hadn't made any noise since her first eep.

Maybe he needed to listen to his dad's advice? He said that when dealing with girl's all he needed was confidence. He hadn't understood what his dad meant by that at the time but maybe this was it? He took a step towards the girl and then another, a smile on his face as he did so.

"What are you reading?"

He tried to get behind her to look at the comic in her hands but didn't get the chance. He noticed the girl shake slightly as he approached and the moment he got within reaching distance she moved.

" _Fast!"_

The girl was a blur of red, moving so fast that he couldn't hope to keep sight of her. She must have slammed into him at one point as he felt a pain in his side and then found himself flat on his butt, the red blur flying towards the front of the store to where the main counter was.

It all happened within the span of a second. One moment he was reaching out to the girl and the next he was on his ass. He looked around to make sure he hadn't just imagined it. The only thing that seemed to prove that _something_ happened was that the comics were blown all over the place and for some reason a few rose petals fluttered around him.

He made to get up and chase after the girl, now legitimately curious to how she got so fast before a round of laughter stopped him dead.

He turned to see Oobleck standing by one of the many bookcases, a small bag held at his side and the biggest grin he'd ever seen the man wear. He mustered his fiercest scowl which only made the tall man laugh all the louder.

Oobleck fought to get words out between his laughter. "Oh Jaune, a good effort no doubt. Perhaps you'll have better luck at tonight's party. Come along, we still have lots to do today."

He huffed at the still chuckling man but obeyed. He moved to walk beside Oobleck as they made their way out of the store, turning his head one more time to try and catch a hint at the girl who had ran away from him.

" _I guess it's not that easy to make friends."_

* * *

 **And there we go, another one in the books. Truth be told the original chapter was actually done like a month ago but after sending it to my beta he sent it back and told me that there just wasn't enough for a real chapter, that it was too slow paced and I needed to add more.**

 **I have to say I agree. While we are officially starting a new arc, and by definition it should be a bit slower, it was too slow with almost nothing happening other than the first scene. So, I took what was going to be the opening to the next chapter and added it here since it didn't break up the next chapter that much.**

 **And the next chapter should be a fun one. We'll see some more of the cast, just in a smaller form.**

 **On the note of how long this took to update, I apologize for that. As some of you know from previous AN's, I decided to go back to school to switch careers and while not planned, I was offered a full-time job in my field before I even graduated and I took it. That meant I had less time to do anything other than do school and work since I was full-time at both. Now though I've cut back on school to focus more on work and to not be burned out. I mean the point of school was to get a job so if I already have the job why not take a little extra time to graduate? No point in killing myself for another year.**

 **Couple that with a bit of illness and a death in the family kind of left me with little to no time to write. Luckily, I'm past that and I have time to write every day, so progress on all my stories should be fairly regular.**

 **On that note, you should actually see an update from me this weekend on A Different Kind of Hunter. I know this story may have appeared dead given its long hiatus but it's back and with more chapters to come. So, if you're a fan of that story look forward to that.**

 **As for my other story, well I've included a long AN in A Different Kind of Hunter going over that.**

 **Regardless, I hope you all enjoy and I appreciate all of the reviews and comments I receive for the story, even the criticisms! It helps keep me motivated to keep bringing you fresh free content!**


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